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30 May 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Rian Horn
South Campus residence
UFS Housing and Residence Affairs leads transformation for university culture to improve student experience and Accommodation
The University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Housing and Residence Affairs (HRA) wants to ensure quality and affordable accommodation on and off campus for UFS students through the ITP.

The development of the ITP at the UFS started in January 2017; areas of transformation were identified, of which HRA’s deliverables are as follows:

• A detailed ‘as-is’ study to understand the issues faced by students regarding on- and off-campus accommodation and quantification of the accommodation gap.
• Development of a strategy to create residences with an academic focus, and the full implications regarding numbers and costing.
• Setting of minimum transport and safety standards for students.
• Development of an approach to student accommodation that is affordable for the students and entails optimal cost to the university.
• A strategy for postgraduate, postdoctoral, and international students.
• Gender-inclusive housing.

Mr Quintin Koetaan, Senior Director of HRA, and President of ACUHO-I SAC, started a project to ensure that NSFAS-funded and other UFS students are afforded quality accommodation on and off campus. Mr Koetaan was also appointed by NSFAS to convert this into a national project. This project includes engagements with different role players such as municipalities, national and provincial officials, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, NSFAS, and private off-campus accommodation service providers.

The decision by the UFS to increase the percentage of first-time entering students living on campus, was welcomed by HRA, and is being implemented and managed to address HRA’s ITP deliverables.  As a result of the increased percentage, senior students would be moved to affordable, accredited off-campus accommodation, with available transportation.

HRA’s aim is to ensure that students experience the wholesomeness and joy of being a UFS student, by making provision for their diverse on- and off-campus needs.

News Archive

Department Old Testament receives visiting professor from the USA
2009-05-19

 
Prof. Fanie Snyman (left) and Prof. Leder.


Prof. Arie Leder, professor in Old Testament at the Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan in the United States of America (USA) set foot on the African continent for the first time when he visited Prof. Fanie Snyman of the Department Old Testament in the Faculty of Theology at the University of the Free State (UFS). Prof. Leder is a visiting professor at the Department of Old Testament.

During his two-week-long visit to the faculty he amongst others lectured to undergraduate and master’s students. The lectures addressed issues related to the first five books of the Old Testament with the focus on the interpretation of the Hebrew text. The mentioned historical books of the Old Testament were discussed with the postgraduate students of the faculty. During the meeting of the Discussion Group for Biblical Sciences, Prof. Leder presented a public lecture with the theme, “Lady Wisdom and Sir Folly: Preaching Esther for such a time as this”.

According to Prof. Snyman, the agreement with Prof. Leder was to present the same lectures as what he would have delivered at the Calvin Theological Seminary. “The aim was to compare the standards, course content and presentations of the lectures that are presented by the respective departments, with each other. We compare well with the Calvin Theological Seminary and we do not have to be ashamed of ourselves. The feedback of the students about the exposure to another lecturer from another institution was also positive,” said Prof. Snyman.

The possibility of future collaboration was also discussed, specifically with the objective of both institutions publishing articles in the respective journals of both institutions. A further positive result of Prof. Leder’s visit is that colleagues of the Calvin Theological Seminary will be approached to act as external examiners for postgraduate students,” said Prof. Snyman.

The Calvin Theological Seminary libraries are some of the best equipped theological libraries in the world and as a result of the collaboration between our two institutions, staff of this faculty will get the opportunity to visit the Calvin Institution and to utilise the facility.

Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

 

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