Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
![]()
The University of the Free State (UFS) has an enrolment plan for 2007–2019 that was approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The university is compelled to adhere to these enrolment targets, as over-enrolment poses a risk to the academic integrity, financial sustainability, and student success of the university.
The UFS received 47 000 applications for admission in 2018, of which 17 000 applicants received final admission. All admission letters clearly stipulate that admission is subject to availability of space during registration. The enrolment target for new first-time entering students for 2018 is 8 000, therefore only 8 000 students can be registered across the university’s three campuses during this intake period.
The Executive Management of the UFS welcomes the fact that President Jacob Zuma’s announcement on 16 December 2017 about free education for the poor and working class has allowed many more students the opportunity to register. Several meetings between the Executive Management and the Student Representative Council (SRC) have taken place since the beginning of 2018 to discuss the implications of the President’s announcement. Engagement with the SRC regarding the registration process is also continuously taking place.
Online registration for all students opened on 8 January 2018. The UFS has put several measures in place to assist new first-time entering undergraduate students. Furthermore, students who have moved into residences and participated in the university’s Gateway Programme, as well as students who arrived on campus, were assisted to register for programmes with available space. In cases where the first option of study was full, students were redirected to other programmes with available space within the specific faculty or other faculties, provided that they comply with the relevant admission criteria. Only mainstream programmes in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences now have space left. The rest of the undergraduate programmes in all faculties on all the campuses are full.
Students who could not be accommodated in any of the programmes due to limited space are being directed to the Central Application Clearing House (CACH).
Relief for baby and child care at the UFS with donation from Fuchs Foundation
2007-11-17
 |
|
At the launch of the Beds of Hope campaign were, from the left: Dr Riaan Els, Chief Executive Officer of the Carl en Emily Fuchs Foundation, Prof. André Venter (Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Care), Ms Corné Booyens (National Grants Manager at the Carl en Emily Fuchs Foundation), Dr Nick van Zyl (Clinical Head at Universitas Hospital), and Prof. Niel Viljoen (Chief Director: Operations).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
|
|
Relief for baby and child care at the UFS with donation from Fuchs Foundation
The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of the Free State (UFS) has received relief for their need of specialised healthcare for babies and children with a donation of R1,5 million from the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation.
As a result of this, the Beds of Hope campaign was launched today on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. With the campaign, the department wants to address the serious need for specialised healthcare for babies and children in the central regions of South Africa.
The department is one of four out of 19 children hospitals in South Africa to receive such a donation. .
“We take care of babies and children in the Universitas and Pelonomi Hospitals in Bloemfontein who have a serious need for specialised healthcare. We are, however, the only supplier of this kind of care in the Free State, North West, Eastern Cape and Lesotho and are responsible for the specialised healthcare of more than 100 000 children. Many of our equipment are outdated and must be urgently repaired or replaced,” said Prof. André Venter, Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Care at the UFS.
“Because we are concerned about our patients, the department launched the Beds of Hope campaign with the help of the donation we received from the Fuchs Foundation. With the campaign, we aim to raise some R15 million in the space of two years to purchase beds and specialised equipment for the intensive care and high care units for both hospitals,” said Prof. Venter.
According to Prof. Venter, this includes babies and children with needs for specialised healthcare in the fields of intensive care, oncology, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, gastro-enterology, neonatology and infectious diseases.
“About ten children are currently not receiving the care they need due to the lack of beds in the intensive care unit. Much more neonates can annually receive critical care if we can supply adequate facilities,” said Prof. Venter.
The other hospitals that are also supported by the Fuchs Foundation’s donation are: Healing Jozi Kids, Boikanyo Foundation and the Groote Schuur Hospital’s neonatal department.
The donation is the beginning of the first phase of the national Fuchs Healing Kids Project, which aims to improve the quality of paediatric care in South Africa.
The aim of this phase is to assist the hospitals to develop the systems and skills needed to collect more money. The research part of phase two and the building up of the hospitals’ children trust funds to be self self-supporting, will happen simultaneously. This phase will be launched early in 2008.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
16 November 2007
|