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24 December 2018 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Anja Aucamp
Guardians of Mental Health
The people who look after Kovsies’ mental wellbeing are from the left: Dr Melissa Barnaschone (Student Counseling and Development), Burneline Kaars (Employee Wellness), Tshepang Mahlatsi (Next Chapter), Arina Engelbrecht (Employee Wellness), and Angie Vorster (School of Medicine).
In a demanding academic environment, mental-health challenges are an unavoidable reality.

October is traditionally Mental Health Awareness Month, and a time to focus on the various initiatives and people who look after Kovsies’ mental wellbeing.

“Our students are bright and very resilient. But even they sometimes struggle to cope,” says Angie Vorster, Clinical Psychologist for the School of Medicine’s plus-minus 700 students. Her diary for individual therapy sessions is booked weeks in advance.

“For many students the transition from school to university can be quite stressful. Many come from protected rural environments and are overwhelmed by their newly-found independence. There’s also often the pressure of high expectations from home – especially for first-generation students.”

The value of peer support is something Dr Melissa Barnaschone, Director of Student Counselling and Development, fully believes in. Apart from individual counselling sessions, her department offers a host of self-development workshops ranging from anger management and relaxation tips, to time management and basic study skills.

“Students often confuse the normal stress and anxiety they experience before tests and exams with a deeper psychological problem,” she says.

She stresses the importance of the fact that students should not wait too long before getting involved with the programmes offered by her department.

When it comes to the mental wellbeing of staff, the UFS Employee Wellness office has arranged weekly talks by specialists on topics such as ‘Compassion Fatigue’, ‘Post-traumatic Stress Disorder’, and ‘Making sense of difficult personalities’ during the period of September to November.

A person who has come full circle with mental-health issues, is Tshepang Mahlatsi. This promising Law student and former prime of the Tswelopele residence, founded Next Chapter, a student-run organisation that offers weekly peer sessions where students support and encourage one another. “There must be two-way communication,” he stresses. “Al these initiatives and resources mean nothing if those in need don’t communicate that they have a problem. No-one should suffer in silence.”

News Archive

RC members of Armentum not expelled from residence
2009-05-29

According to a memorandum of agreement that was concluded between the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Residence Committee (RC), the Senior Bond Committee and seniors of the Armentum Residence, the parties involved agreed, among others, that the RC members of this residence would not be expelled from the residence.

This follows an incident during which a first-year student from Armentum, Alex Marais, was injured because of alleged initiation and admitted to the Bloemfontein Medi-Clinic.

According to the agreement, the RC members will resign from their positions and not make themselves available for the next RC election, with the exception of Mr M.J. Pretorius, the RC member for Rag. He will stay on as unelected member of the interim RC. The UFS undertook to pay the RC that is stepping down their honorariums honorariums in August.

The UFS also gave permission to the Residence Head of Armentum, Adv. Bradley Smith, to appoint an interim RC for the remaining period of office of the current RC.

The Senior Bond must also undertake to submit the current rules of the Senior Bond Committee to the Acting Rector, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, before 1 June 2009. The Senior Bond Committee undertakes to comply strictly with these rules, also during Senior Bond activities.

In addition the Senior Bond Committee and the current Residence Committee must submit the following information to Prof. Verschoor before the reopening of the UFS for the second semester :
- The current orientation practices with regard to first-year students.
- Proposals on how the practices can be adjusted to render them enforceable within humane, reasonable, fair and humanitarian limits in order to implement and comply with the objectives of orientation, the exercising of control and the laying down of rules.

The compensating fine that was levied against the tuition fees accounts of senior students of Armentum, which would have been used to contribute to the medical costs of Alex Marais, is now cancelled.

This settlement is final and the parties will not lay any claims against each other as a result of this incident in future.

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
Email: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
29 May 2009

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