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07 March 2018 Photo Xolisa Mnukwa
UJ to benchmark Kovsie CUADS operational services
UJ Disability unit delegates Alban Burke and Leila Abdul Gafoor join UFS CUADS Assistant director, Martie Miranda and Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane for a discussion on the operative aspects of the UFS Center for Universal Access and Disability Support.

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) Psychological Services and Career Development Department is looking to enhance the quality of services provided by its disability unit. Team leader of the Psychological Services division at (PsCAD): Leila Abdul Gafoor said University of the Free State (UFS) was on its list of targets when it boiled down to possibly benchmarking and sharing the Center for universal access and disability support (CUADS) service structures and operational procedures that could aid a more pleasant and complete university experience for students with disabilities at UJ.

Director of PysCad at UJ, Alban Burke, considered one of the strengths of his department to be its ability to serve as a hot-stop for their students with academic opportunities that could assist them financially, psychologically, intellectually and perceptually. He did, however, point out that one of their main challenges lies in their difficulty sourcing capital and resources that are exclusive to the disability unit within his department which is very expensive to operate and sustain. 

Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane, started his response to PysCad delegates with the question: “Which strategies should be operationalised in order to cater for the core needs of students?” He said the strategy should inform the operational structure that a university employs. Thus, the strategy should centre universal access as the Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP) intended it, and in that way the structure would need to support the notion of universal access; and therefore address student needs. The UFS is currently undergoing a phase of integrated transformation which Mgolombane explained which among other things, demanded avid preparations towards ensuring that universal access was prioritised. 

Martie Miranda, Assistant Director for CUADS, clarifies that CUADS considered repositioning its office beneath academics due to a majority of their occupational services comprising of academic support for students with disabilities. However, due to Student Affairs’ newly developed “humanising strategic model” the centre remained put as they are being afforded efficient opportunity to change mindsets, and create an institutional culture which endorses the humanising of students with disabilities as well.

Mgolombane said in order for an institution to deliver sufficient universal access, students’ needs and experiences had to be considered and prioritised from conception. The planning and future implementation should not serve as an afterthought when allocating financial, human, physical and other resources to the various university environments. 

News Archive

State of our campuses: UFS closes campuses until Friday 28 October 2016 to readjust academic programme
2016-10-13

The senior leadership of the University of the Free State (UFS) has carefully analysed all the risks facing the university in the current national crisis in higher education, which includes the possibility of losing the academic year. The university management has been engaged in back-to-back meetings with the student leadership, South African Police Service (SAPS), and other stakeholders over the past two days in an attempt to ensure the safety of all parties, and normalise the academic functioning of the UFS.  Unfortunately, we have been unable to arrive at an agreement about the resumption of the academic year regardless of the timing of the government response to students’ demands. This is further complicated by the fact that the university has received notice of intention of an  interdict to reopen with immediate effect.

Taking all of this into account, the senior leadership of the UFS has decided as follows:

  1. The UFS will not be shutting down for the remainder of 2016. The Bloemfontein and South Campuses will, however, be shutting down from Thursday 13 October 2016 until Friday 28 October 2016. These two weeks will be used for crucial and complex arrangements to be put in place to readjust the academic calendar and ensure that all students can complete their studies.
  2. The academic arrangements are focused on organising alternative modes of delivery of our programmes to support student learning. Academics will be working on readjusting their course materials for this purpose.
  3. The Bloemfontein Campus and the South Campuses will be closed for undergraduate and honours students. Administrative and academic staff will be working, as well as master's and doctoral students.
  4. Students in residence will have to vacate their rooms by 12:00 on Saturday 15 October 2016. Students who need help in this regard must please contact +27 51 401 2001 or send an email to hotline@ufs.ac.za.
  5. Arrangements will be made to accommodate international, master's, and doctoral students.
  6. The specific information about academic programmes will be communicated to students by their respective faculties as it becomes available.

The senior leadership wants to restate its commitment to free education as well as its willingness to stand together with students and other public universities to impress on government the urgency to decide on a time frame for the roll-out of free higher education for the poor and missing middle. During these two weeks the UFS will meet with the leadership of Universities South Africa to coordinate collective action in this regard.

 Consistent with this commitment the UFS leadership will roll out a series of activities to inform and educate students and the general public on different models and experiences of providing free higher education. 

 The UFS is deeply concerned about the possible securitisation of our campus as a way of solving this crisis.

 The UFS condemns in the strongest terms violence as a methodology to achieve ends in the context of a democratic state.We are, as always, committed to providing quality education and a conducive environment for learning.

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