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02 April 2019
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Story Valentino Ndaba
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Photo Charl Devenish
Pictured are 8 of the 64 UFS School of Accountancy students who form part of the 84.2% pass rate achievers.
Students from the University of the Free State (UFS) School of Accountancy achieved a 84.2% pass rate compared to the national average of 76.2% during the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examination facilitated by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).
A total of 64 out of 76 UFS students who attempted the ITC for the first time were successful in the examination. The ITC is known for its challenging nature. Demographically, our African black students outperformed the 62.1% national pass rate by attaining an impressive 80.6%.
Collective congratulations
Prof Hentie van Wyk, Programme Director at the school, attributed diligence for the high pass rate. “This is due to our student-centred teaching module that was introduced four years ago and committed academic staff of the School of Accountancy from the first to the fourth year.”
Further future surge expected
“With the coming June 2019 ITC sitting, our pass rate for 2019 will most probably be more than 90%. Our three-year rolling average for 2015-2017, 2016-2018 and 2017-2019 were 83%, 86% and 90% respectively. Hopefully we can maintain the upward curve,” said Prof Van Wyk.
Five mega projects to help reposition the UFS
2008-02-01
The University of the Free State (UFS) today announced that it will focus on five mega-projects to help reposition the UFS in the next five years as one of South Africa’s leading universities that is successfully managing excellence and diversity.
Speaking at the official opening of the university today, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Frederick Fourie, identified the five mega projects as:
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The successful implementation of strategic academic clusters to focus the teaching and research expertise of the UFS.
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The development and implementation of new models of teaching and learning.
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Finding new sources of income (including third-stream income) to minimise dependence on government subsidies and tuition fees.
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Creating a new institutional culture for the university by finalising the Institutional Charter.
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The ongoing transformation of the UFS in all its dimensions.
According to Prof. Fourie, the strategic clusters – initiated in 2006 – are a very important initiative which is aimed at making the UFS a world leader in six broad areas. The focus of the six clusters has now been determined. These clusters are not just research based, but will include postgraduate programmes and filter down to undergraduate learning programmes and curricula.
He also indicated that other research at the UFS will continue to be supported and funded as before.
The second project, to establish a new teaching and learning model, is meant to address current success rates which indicate the need for this issue to receive a high priority.
New income streams to enable higher levels of financial sustainability is the third project, especially in view of dwindling government subsidies and limits on student numbers. This is necessary to fund sustained higher levels of investment in the quality of academic activities and in the necessary capacity and facilities.
Prof. Fourie said the fourth project regarding institutional culture is an ongoing effort to create a sense of belonging for all staff and students at the UFS through the adoption of an Institutional Charter for the university.
“What the draft Charter does – in addition to describing overarching values espoused by the institution and its people – is to describe the outlines and constitutive principles of the ‘post-redress’ UFS,” said Prof. Fourie.
The Charter – initially launched in 2007 – is and remains a critical element of guiding transformation effectively and speedily towards a widely-accepted goal. It is a critical element of the “social sustainability and robustness” of a new UFS, especially in tumultuous political times.
The fifth project is the Transformation Plan, launched in 2007. “We simply must pursue this plan diligently, given our commitment to comprehensive and deep transformation, and to best practice transformation. All universities will have to face up to the challenge of transformation and the UFS can break new ground, as it did in the past by managing transformation innovatively and creating a campus where all can find their rightful place,” said Prof. Fourie.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
1 February 2008