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25 April 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Jolandi Griesel
Dr Whitty Green, Dr Engela van Staden and Prof Francois Strydom
Dr Whitty Green, Dr Engela van Staden and Prof Francois Strydom, Senior Director of CTL.
Data, quality, and capacity building were among the main topics of discussion at the third annual Teaching and Learning Conference hosted by the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Dr Engela van Staden, Vice-Rector: Academic, welcomed delegates on the first day of the conference. The three themes of the conference were quality, capacity and excellence. “These three constructs have never been more relevant in South African higher education than now,’ said Dr Van Staden. “The quality of education, globally, and specifically in SA, is being questioned. Both public and private sectors are demanding graduates that need to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.” 

The aim of the teaching and learning conference is to foster more collaboration between academics at the UFS. A total of 14 academics from across all seven faculties presented during the two-day conference. Dr Whitty Green from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) delivered the keynote on the first day and Prof Corlia Janse van Vuuren delivered the second day keynote.

The inclusion of technology in the world of work and the use of data analytics are fundamentally confronting our learning and teaching place. “And I hope some of the issues will be addressed in the presentations,” Dr Van Staden said. 

Bringing down silos of research and teaching

Dr Green spoke about the Enacting the National Framework for Enhancing Academics as University Teachers. “Academics are teachers and researchers and they have to engage with the community. There are multiple roles and these roles intersect,” Dr Green said. In order to build capacity in the system it is important to understand the multiple natures of the roles and try to work with them. This is the reason why the teaching development grant and teaching grant have been pulled together to form the University Capacity Grant. “We are trying to break down the silos of research development and teaching development at universities,” he said.

Prof Janse van Vuuren, Head of the UFS School of Allied Health Professionals, delivered her keynote address on Quality, Capacity and Excellence: Dotting the Is and crossing the Ts in a changing, data-driven Higher Education Environment. She shared her story to establish a faculty-based operational framework for teaching and learning.

“I did not know how to bring all of the issues ranging from research, teaching and learning and student success into one framework,” said Prof Janse van Vuuren. She developed a faculty-based operational framework for teaching and learning for the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

The third annual UFS Teaching and Learning Conference took place from 26 to 27 March 2019.



News Archive

Kovsies raise their voices to say no to racism – and yes to equality
2015-03-13

SRC President, Mosa Leteane
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

Launch of the No-to-Racism/Yes-to-Equality Campaign : Video 

In support of National Human Rights Month, the UFS has launched the No-to-Racism/Yes-to-Equality Campaign. Through this campaign, the entire UFS community reaffirms its commitment to equality, respect, democracy, social justice, humanity, dignity, human rights, and diversity.

The first leg of the campaign, No-to-Racism, was launched at the Qwaqwa, Bloemfontein and South Campuses during the past month. “Look in the mirror tonight and have a discussion with yourself,” Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, said during the launch at the Bloemfontein Campus. “Ask yourself to what extent can I truly say, ‘I am dealing with my racism, my bigotry, my ethnicism, my homophobia, my xenophobia? Am I truly dealing with those in my life?’”

Through the No-to-Racism Campaign, staff and students are encouraged to take a public stand against not only racism, but also homophobia, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, classism, ethnicism, ageism, and all forms of intolerance and othering.

The start of No-to-Racism will closely be followed by the Yes-to-Equality Campaign, which will be launched on 1 April 2015.

SRC President, Mosa Leteane, urged the Kovsie community to make South Africa work. “We say ‘no’ because we want to say ‘yes’. Fix your ‘no’ so that your ‘yes’ is clear, it’s equal, it’s honest. That is what ‘yes’ looks like.”

The campaign is also aligned with the declaration made by the UFS Council in November 2014 in which it was stated that “the Council of the University of the Free State believes very strongly in the human dignity, equality, and freedom of all people. Accordingly, the Council reaffirms its abhorrence of acts of racism, sexism, and unfair discrimination of any kind or in any form”.
The No-to Racism/Yes-to-Equality Campaign is an initiative of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, together with the SRC.

Important dates:
1 April 2015: Launch of Yes-to-Equality Campaign on the Qwaqwa and Bloemfontein Campuses
13 April 2015: Pledge of the UFS community at 12:45 on the Red Square, Bloemfontein Campus

 

For more information or enquiries contact news@ufs.ac.za.

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