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30 October 2018 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Peet van Aardt
iCAN contributes to a decolonised curriculum
Some of the student writers who contributed to the anthology that tells their stories in Sesotho, isiXhosa, isiZulu, English and Afrikaans.

How do you transform the higher education curriculum? You involve the exact people the curriculum is intended for. The book, Initiative for Creative African Narratives (iCAN,) illustrates how decolonisation can be achieved through literature   for students by students.

iCAN is an initiative by the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the University of the Free State (UFS) to mentor students in creative and narrative writing. Under the mentorship of Dr Peet van Aardt, project coordinator, and Ace Moloi, author and UFS alumnus, iCAN Volume 1 was recently launched with 47 short stories written by UFS students. 

“The project is a response from the centre for the ever-increasing need for decolonised curricula, steeped in the local cultural perspective of ubuntu,” said Dr Van Aardt.

“This book is an example for how decolonisation can be implemented,” said Prof Francois Stydrom, Senior Director of CTL. The overall aim of the iCAN project is to have the content that materialised from it to be included in the curriculum of first-year students at UFS in the near future.

Book provides multiple voices

Starting in May 2018, CTL presented a series of creative writing workshops on all three of the UFS campuses. “It’s a medium that allows a diverse range of students to express their views and develop their voices as writers,” said Prof Strydom.  

It is a form of empowerment, to pass the baton to students to improve the UFS curriculum by writing and publishing their own stories, thereby contributing to larger bodies of knowledge through their lived experiences.

“I believe we as a university need to enable students so that they move away from just being users to becoming contributors to the curriculum,” Dr van Aardt concluded. 

News Archive

Prof. Jonathan to take up office on 1 July 2009
2009-03-24

Our new Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, has indicated that he will take up office on 1 July 2009.

Speaking here at the Main Campus in Bloemfontein today after discussions with members of Council, Prof. Jonathan said he was deeply humbled by the overwhelmingly positive reception he has received from all quarters on and off campus following the announcement of his appointment.

“I have received telephone calls, e-mails, SMSs and messages from people who have nothing but support and seemingly lots of advice for me, which has humbled me tremendously. I am truly grateful for the trust shown in me by so many people I have not even met.

“This generosity and warmth is something that has reinforced my view that the University of the Free State is indeed a very special place for so many people and a place that I am honoured to serve as Rector and Vice-Chancellor.”

Prof. Jonathan said he would dedicate his first few months in office to a listening campaign to learn about the issues and concerns that are on people’s minds as well as the initiatives and developments at our university that make them proud of our institution.

“This is an important step because I don’t want to come across as some know-it-all who can come here and tell people this is what they should do. It is also an important step to get people talking and united about a common vision for the academic institution that the UFS is. It will have to be about the twin imperatives of racial reconciliation and academic excellence.

“In this process of listening and learning no-one will be excluded. I will talk to people on campus and off campus, including academic staff, support staff, the Qwaqwa Campus, students, parents, alumni, local business, the religious community, and our sport persons.

“I must also add that I have now bought my Cheetah and Bloemfontein Celtic jerseys, difficult as it was for me.”

Media Release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2749
Cell: 072 207 8334
E-mail: fishera.stg@ufs.ac.za  

 

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