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28 June 2018 Photo Supplied
Reitz book wins sought-after UFS Book Prize
Back from left; JC van der Merwe; Prof Corli Witthuhn, front from left; Dionne van Reenen and Dr Glen Taylor, Senior Director of Research Development.
Having been described “a brave book” by Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research, Transformation and Legitimation in Post-apartheid Universities by JC van der Merwe and Dionne van Reenen, is the deserving winner of the University of the Free State (UFS) Book Prize for 2017.

“This award is confirmation that our research and reflections produced sound scholarly work,” said Van der Merwe. He added that they recognised it was impossible for one research study to tell the whole story about Reitz, which reached a level of complexity that extended beyond a single reading of evidence and discourses.

Van der Merwe is the Acting Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice at the UFS and his co-author, Van Reenen is also a researcher at the institute. 

Book critically discusses pivotal moment
According to this year’s external evaluation, the winning book is a competent account of the struggle of one institution with identity, culture, race and transformation.  

“Congratulations to JC van der Merwe and Dionne van Reenen on winning the 2017 UFS book prize with their book. This is a brave book written with deep understanding and modulated moral anger,” said Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector; Research at the UFS.

“In critically focusing on a moment in the history of UFS – the infamous Reitz event – JC and Dionne enable us to understand the depth and embedded nature of racism in our higher education institutions.”

Unpacking the Reitz incident 
The concept for the book dates back to 2011 said Van der Merwe. “I conceptualised and organised a series of semi-structured interviews with key members of the UFS senior staff and student leaders who were in office at the time of the Reitz video.”.

He then began to formulate the structure of the book – the aim of which was to contextualise and unpack the Reitz incident by conducting an in-depth investigation into the event itself, the rhetoric surrounding it, and the set of practices and ideas in which it was embedded. Van Reenen joined the UFS after the interviews and was therefore the perfect interlocutor in discussing the events prior to and after 2008.

“They deliver a theoretically rich analysis of the anatomy of current contestation about race and transformation in higher education in South Africa, the resultant legitimation crisis facing the UFS and South African universities more generally, as well as ways to restore institutional legitimacy and reputation focusing on instituting deeper and more durable change that unlocks the promise of democracy,” Prof Witthuhn said.

News Archive

Qwaqwa Campus’s Teaching and Learning Champs scoop up award
2014-10-24



Dr Elize Smuts (right) proudly displaying the UFS Vice-Chancellor’s Team Award. Equally ecstatic, is Qwaqwa Campus’s CTL Manager, Fred Mudavanhu.
Photo: Thabo Kessah
Action research to improve classroom practice and student success rates, recently received a boost when the Qwaqwa Campus’s Teaching and Learning (TL) Champions were honoured with the prestigious UFS Vice-Chancellor’s Team Award. The award was in recognition of the team’s efforts to enhance professional development and was accompanied by a R50 000 prize that will be utilised to further encourage and develop a scholarly culture on the Qwaqwa Campus.

“An active learning community has developed over the past four years, which led to the creation of a scholarly forum for sharing problems, experiences and new knowledge”, revealed Dr Elize Smuts, who has been the pillar of strength in the development of TL Champs.

“This”, Dr Smuts said, “has continuously motivated the group to persevere in challenging and often under-resourced circumstances.”

 “Over a four-year period, 44 projects were undertaken, many with great success. Thirteen scholars participated in a pilot of CLASSE (Classroom Assessment of Student Engagement) in 2013. This survey, contextualised by staff from the Centre for Teaching and Learning, was a first in South Africa,” said Dr Smuts.

“The team undertook extensive literature reviews and attended numerous workshops on principles and practices of good teaching, research and writing. The two summarising booklets they prepared from two publications (How Learning Works: 7 Research-based Principles for Smart Teaching and Student Engagement Techniques) in 2013, will serve as guides and inspiration for the larger academic community of the UFS for many years.”

Since the formation of this team, TL scholars have presented 25 papers at 12 national and two international conferences.

“Taking into consideration that it is not easy to get an abstract accepted for presentation, these are impressive achievements,” Dr Smuts said.

“Some of the immediate results of scholars engaged in this project, include improved student success rates averaging 20% compared to only 8% improvement by academics who are not part of the project.”
 
“In 2013, one TL scholar reported student success rates that increased by 29%; another reported 80% on average; and another reported an increase from 65% to 95% in a class bigger than previous years.”

In congratulating the team, Centre for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) Prof Annette Wilkinson said that she was very proud of the team.
 
“The team’s dedication and growth in scholarly practice – amidst challenging circumstances – are in my mind, the outstanding features of the project. I am very proud of the entire team”, said Prof Wilkinson.

The two presentations at international conferences were delivered by Ms Lea Koenig at the 32nd Annual Conference on the First-Year-Experience in Orlando, Florida and by Dr Elize Smuts in North Carolina. Both of these were presented in 2013.


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