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03 October 2018 | Story UFS | Photo Katlego Sekele
Empowering students to speak up about sexual violations
Students engaged authorities and Student Affairs representatives on sexual and gender-based matters.

Do you know enough about the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence policy adopted by the university in June 2018? The Office for Gender and Sexual Equity (GSE) at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a dialogue on the role of the institution in matters of sexual and gender-based violence and addressing issues surrounding sexual violations. 

Developments such as the countrywide #TotalShutdown: Intersectional Women’s March Against Gender-based Violence last month serve as proof of the dire need for issues surrounding sexual violations to inform policies and active safety measures.

Policy purpose

According to the policy, the objectives are to create a safe and enabling environment, establish a common understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and sexual violence, provide applicable and accurate information, ensure that victims receive the necessary support, clearly outline disciplinary procedures for perpetrators, and clarify institutional accountability.

Student’s take on solutions

Tammy Fray, a member of the Student Representative Council, who formed part of the panel at the discussion, says the policy is not a one-stop-shop solution. “The policy is a guiding document. We have to then use it to inform activist work. We cannot always put the onus on policies and codes of conducts to solve problems. However it is our responsibility within this academic space to come up with solutions that enhance the way the policy works.”

Be informed about the policy

It is important to understand the stipulations of the policy in order to make full use of it. Geraldine Lengau, Officer at the GSE said: “It’s important that students know that the institution is not operating in silos but that their demands have been heard and the institution has acknowledged that there is a need for the policy to be adopted. It also makes the process of reporting better with the assistance of the Sexual Assault Response Team coordinator.”

News Archive

Report card outlines major achievements
2005-02-04

Staff at the University of the Free State (UFS) have received above-inflation increases in remuneration averaging 18,2 percent since the year 2000, according to the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie.

Delivering a keynote speech at the Official Opening of the UFS today, Prof Fourie gave a report card for the UFS which he said indicated significant progress in salaries and promotions as well as capital expenditure and infrastructure development on the campus.

“The aggregate extra earnings of staff (money in their pockets above inflation) from 2000 to 2005 amount to R75 million in salaries. This is the result of the hard work of all staff and we pay tribute to them,” he said.

Prof Fourie said that several categories of staff are better off than before the financial turn-around strategy was implemented in 2000 which aimed to make the UFS a financially sustainable campus.

The lowest paid workers and professors had received an additional structural correction, which gave professors at the UFS a 27% above-inflation increase (on total remuneration package) since 2000.

He said there had also been a dramatic increase in promotions to associate professor and full professor during the last 6 years.

From 1999 to December 2001, there were only 9 promotions to associate professor. From January 2002 to January 2005, there were 37 such promotions to associate professor, four times as many.

Regarding promotions to full professor, from 1999 to December 2001 there were 7 promotions. From January 2002 to January 2005, there were 31 promotions to full professor, more than four times as many.

“We have also created a new category of senior professor to give due recognition to the outstanding work of our leading academics in many fields,” Prof Fourie said.

The UFS has introduced numerous new and innovative learning programmes, together with an increasing number of community service modules which enhanced the UFS as a leader in service learning and helped to make it a university engaged with its surrounding community.

According to Prof Fourie the number of support staff had also grown along with the professionalisation of the support services.

He said management was aware that there still several challenges regarding staff overload and staff development but that these were being addressed

Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

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