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20 March 2018 Photo Charl Devenish
Town and Gown programme to expand university reach in communities
Prof Petersen signs an MOU with Princess Motshabi Moroka, patron of the Princess Gabo Foundation, at the launch of the Town and Gown programme.

The University of the Free State (UFS), through the office of Community Engagement, launched the Town and Gown programme on 13 March 2018 at the Bloemfontein Campus. The programme seeks to demonstrate the university’s commitment to building sustainable partnerships in communities and its surrounding towns. It aims to be integrally involved in addressing societal challenges, as well as to avail its intellectual and academic resources to partner with civic and religious organisations, government entities and business communities.

Engaged scholarship central to institutional strategy

In his welcoming remarks, Prof Nicky Morgan Acting Vice Rector: Institutional Change and Student Affairs, said: “The university is not complete without its community and in the same way the community should benefit from the university. This has been encompassed in the newly launched Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP) which has community engagement as one of its components.”  The event was attended by representatives of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, NGOs, religious and traditional leaders, student structures and UFS staff members.

Prof Francis Petersen: Rector and Vice Chancellor, said the university ought to articulate community engagement differently from what other organisations would do, by showcasing engaged scholarship and using teaching and research to make a difference. He emphasised the importance of being close enough to communities to be able to ascertain their needs in such a way that the component of community is brought into the classroom and in the university’s research.

Expansion of community outreach under way
The long-standing ties between the university and communities in the Free State span many years, during which time various collaborative projects have been established with, among others, Non Profit Organisations (NPOs), such as Bloemshelter, faith-based organisations, and traditional leadership structures.

To date, the UFS has supported programmes in education, health, law and rural development through service-learning programmes, involving students and academics in various fields. The target of the Town and Gown programme is to reach out further to include new partnerships in the Motheo Metro Municipality, Maluti-a-Phofung District Municipality, and Kopanong Local Municipality.

Long-standing partnerships strengthened
At the event, several memoranda of understanding (MOU) were signed to confirm five-year collaborative agreements between the university and partner organisations, one of which is the Princess Gabo Foundation based in Thaba Nchu. Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, Director: Community Engagement said that the MOUs would strengthen partnership with the communities in research, community service learning, and volunteer programmes.

The Town and Gown initiative is a step taken to re-affirm the university’s commitment to partnering with stakeholders in strengthening the capacity of surrounding towns, metros and the Free State region as a whole.

News Archive

UFS provides support network in each faculty
2016-10-28

Description: UFS provides support network in each faculty Tags: UFS provides support network in each faculty

Photo: iStock

Faculties at the University of the Free State (UFS) have been affected differently by the interruption of teaching time over the past few weeks.

Some faculties, like the Faculty of Law, have completed their curriculum, while other faculties like the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences require more teaching time. The Faculty of Health Sciences, for instance, cannot do teaching through alternative modes of delivery.

According to their needs, each faculty has prepared all the necessary learning material and instructions to support student learning. The standard and quality will be the same as if students have been attending classes. Some faculties require practical laboratory work as part of their curriculum and the necessary arrangements and adjustments have been made per department/faculty.

Constantly check official platforms
In order to assist with successfully completing the 2016 academic year, the UFS has launched the Academic Reboot Pack 2.0. It provides information around the carefully-crafted UFS academic rescue strategy and how to go about completing your work.

It is paramount to constantly check your faculty’s Blackboard organisation, the university’s main page, and your ufs4life emails to stay informed with emerging information regarding the state of the campus.

Faculties communicate work directly
Faculties at the UFS will communicate all outstanding academic work directly to the students registered in the faculty. For this, the university has created a UFS Support Network. Students should not hesitate to email or call if they need support.

Important contacts:    

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
Faculty Manager: Lizette Pretorius (LPretorius@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 2173)
Teaching and Learning Manager: Dr Corlia Janse van Vuuren (JanseVanVuurenEC@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 3691)
    
Faculty of Education    
Faculty Manager: Charmell Cardoso (CardosoC@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 9264)    
Teaching and Learning Manager: Prof Adri Beylefeld (BeylefeldAA@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 3125)
    
Faculty of Law    
Faculty Manager: Adri Kotze (Kotzea@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 2735)    
Teaching and Learning Manager: Dr Manie Moolman (MoolmanHJ@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 7084)

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences    
Faculty Manager: Lee-Ann Frazenburg (DamonsLE@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 3199)    
Teaching and Learning Manager: Elzmarie Oosthuizen (OosthuizenEM@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 2934)

Faculty of the Humanities    
Faculty Manager: Marica Coetsee (coetseem@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 2369)    
Teaching and Learning Manager: Jackie Storer (storerja@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 9579)
    
Faculty of Theology    
Faculty Manager: Ingrid Mostert (MosterIE@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 9079)    
Teaching and Learning Manager: Dr Thomas Resane (ResaneKT@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 9331)

Get your copy of the Academic Reboot Pack 2.0 on Blackboard under announcements or click here to download it.

The Academic Reboot Pack 1.0 is also available for you.
 
If students have any question or queries regarding the Academic Reboot Pack, they can send an email to: advising@ufs.ac.za

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