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15 March 2018 Photo Thabo Kessah
Qwaqwa Campus welcomes international students
SRC President, Masopha Hlalele, with ISC Executive Committee members Tapiwanashe Mashamba (Deputy Chairperson), Jennifer Ashafa (Chairperson), Mamokete Mokhatla (Secretary), and Kanego Mokgosi (Qwaqwa Campus: Office for International Affairs).
Integration. Diversity. Inclusivity. Academic excellence.

These words featured prominently during the welcoming event for international students on the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State. The event was organised by the International Student Council (ISC), in collaboration with the Office for International Affairs (OIA).

“The presence of international students is bound to enrich diversity on campus, as it converges vast experiences of the world within one space. It further promotes social integration between South African students and those from the region and beyond,” said Teboho Manchu, Acting Campus Principal.

Opportunity to connect
Teboho further stated that international students provide a critical opportunity for all students to connect, irrespective of their origin.

“Immerse yourselves in the local culture and most importantly, go out there in the communities and connect with the ordinary people,” he added.

In encouraging international students to fully participate in the student programmes on campus, the Acting Campus Vice-Principal: Support Services and Director: Student Affairs, Temba Hlasho, said that Student Affairs supports all students, irrespective of their choice of study or origin.
“To show that we as Student Affairs care, we are going to institute a process in which the SRC Constitution will be reviewed to include international students. This will enable all students to use the positive environment to further thrive in their chosen careers. Participate in all the student activities and leave a mark. Exploit the nature of this campus. Take advantage of its relatively small size and warmth,” he said.

SRC Constitution review
In his response on behalf of the students, the SRC President, Masopha Hlalele, concurred with the campus management that the time was right to review the SRC Constitution to include international students as well as postgraduate students.

“We commit to fast-tracking this process so that the amended constitution can be adopted by the UFS Council in June 2018. In the meantime, continue making your mark on every inch of this campus,” he said.

International students in the audience came from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and India.

News Archive

UFS welcomes unanimous judgement about its Language Policy in the Supreme Court of Appeal
2017-03-28

The University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased with the unanimous judgment handed down in the Supreme Court of Appeal this morning, in which the application from AfriForum and Solidarity to review and set aside the decision by the UFS Council to adopt a new Language Policy was dismissed.
 
The court accordingly directed that AfriForum and Solidarity pay the legal costs of the UFS, which include the costs of two Counsel. This is the second time that the two applicants were ordered to pay the university’s legal costs.
 
The UFS further welcomes the decision by the Full Bench that the Free State High Court made a mistake last year by indicating that the UFS Council made an irrational decision when it approved the new Language Policy on 11 March 2016.
 
“Today’s decision is a milestone in the history of the University of the Free State and underlines the importance of the decision made by the Council last year. The decision comes with a responsibility, as we now have to ensure that all our students can become part of the global community of scholars by providing them with the necessary support. We also have to make our staff and students understand the implication of the court’s decision,” said Prof Nicky Morgan, acting Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
 
The effect of today’s judgment is that the UFS may proceed to implement the new Language Policy according to its Implementation Plan. The new policy entails English as primary medium of instruction, but with the introduction of a tutorial system in Afrikaans and progressively in Sesotho to support students’ learning in their first and second year of study.
 
The policy has been piloted since January 2017 with first-year students in three faculties: Law, Health Sciences, and the Humanities. In these faculties, the majority of students indicated their preference to be taught in English. The Afrikaans-English policy will be maintained in the rest of the faculties in 2017 and phased out according to an implementation plan as from 2018.
 
Current registered students are able to complete their studies in the language they selected upon registration.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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