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04 August 2020 | Story Dr Cinde Greyling | Photo Supplied
Prof Willem Boshoff
Prof Willem Boshoff, a Senior Professor in the Department of Fine Arts within the Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State, recently received an A2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF). This is a first for the University of the Free State and the country in the field of art. Trailblazing, indeed. NRF ratings are allocated based on research outputs and are a valuable tool to benchmark researchers against the best in the world. “This opens up the playing field in science for art, which is wonderful,” Prof Boshoff says. 

Publication vs exhibition

This renowned sculptor has an imposing presence, even in cyberspace. He is larger than life, as is his art. A conversation with him can never be short. His answers are filled to the brim with his boundless search for knowing. Understanding. Uncovering. He personifies the science of art. Prof Boshoff is mentoring postgraduate students and works on the Bloemfontein Campus during certain months of the year, while he remains based in Gauteng. “They asked me to fill in a form, and then this happened!” he evades the honour of his exceptional accomplishment. But soon follows up with a rather philosophical argument about the parallels between publishing an academic article and exhibiting an artwork. “Both are sharing your findings with the public,” he explains and notes how the acceptance of artwork on display as a publication recognises the contribution of art to society. 

Art that speaks

Globally, Prof Boshoff’s sought-after sculptures offer much more than meets the eye. They are drenched in text, either on the artwork itself, or accompanied by a detailed description of the piece. He writes dictionaries, Prof Boshoff explains, and is fascinated by words. A list comprising his favourite words already has more than fourteen thousand entries … and counting. “I can never pick just one!” he replies to the unfair question of what the most beautiful word is. Although some criticise the ‘over-explanation’ of his work, he feels it is necessary. “Besides knowing what material the work is made of, when, and by whom, it is important to provide context. This helps with a better understanding of the piece, and a deeper experience thereof. Of course, you can still make up your own mind about it, but it is also good to know mine.” 

Creating during COVID-19

“I generally work alone, so my immediate environment has not changed that much. And I still cannot sleep at night!” These sleepless nights may or may not have given rise to a somewhat COVID-related work on his bench. Only time will tell. Prof Boshoff does, however, believe that art captures something of the human spirit, therefore creative work is bound to emerge in trying times. Then he turns the mobile screen to the view from his house – it is pretty, right? And also, just for a quick view of the nursery on his stoep. He knows each plant by its scientific name. Of course. 

News Archive

African Student Affairs Conference a huge success
2011-05-24

 
Mr Rudi Buys, UFS Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. Folabi Obembe, Managing Director of Worldview International, Ms Birgit Schreiber, Director of the Centre for Student support services at the University of the Western Cape, Dr. Augustinah Duyilemi, Dean of Student Affairs at the Adekunleh Ajasin University in Nigeria, Dr. Christina Lunceford, assistant Director for the Centre for Research on Educational Access and Leadership at California State University in America, and Prof. Cecil Bodibe, student affairs veteran and consultant.
Photo: Earl Coetzee

The African Student Affairs Conference (ASAC), which took place on our Main Campus last week, was a major success, with two days of lectures and discussions and two pleasant social gatherings, where delegates had the opportunity to get to know each other.

The conference, hosted on African soil for the first time, and co-hosted by the University of the Western Cape (UWC), started on Wednesday 18 May 2011 with an informal welcoming session. Delegates got to meet each other and Mr Rudi Buys, UFS Dean of Student Affairs, explained the meaning of South African words like "kuier" and "lekker'.

The official start of events took place on Thursday 19 May 2011, in the Reitz Hall in our Centenary Complex. The conference was attended by delegates from universities across the continent and aimed to place the focus on issues relating to student affairs in an African context.

Delegates shared and exchanged strategies, ideas and resources, and discussed issues related to the work of student affairs professionals. The conference hoped to promote an exchange of best practice and assist attendees in identifying successful programmes.

Among the topics discussed on the first day, were “Constructing Post-Conflict Democracy on campus: a case study of transformation of student governance and political engagement as post-conflict intervention”, by Mr. Buys, and a discussion on ways in which social and online media can be used to ease the challenges of student interaction, development and support, by Ms Birgit Schreiber, Director of the Centre for Student Support Services at UWC.

A panel discussion, led by Mr Buys and several members of our Interim Student Council (ISC), discussed the specific challenges faced at the UFS.  The importance of buy-in from role-players in decisions taken by University management in order to ensure their success, was discussed, using the UFS and our recent changes as an example.

The successful integration of residences on campus inevitably came under the spotlight and the recently resolved Reitz-saga was named as a catalyst in getting students less apathetic and more involved in attempts at creating racial and social harmony.

Dr Christina Lunceford, Assistant-Director of the Centre for Research on Educational Access and Leadership at California State University, presented a paper entitled A National Approach to Building Capacity in Student Affairs in South African Higher Education.

She commented on the fact that there is little or no philosophical framework or explicit theory that informs practice of student services in South Africa.

According to Dr Lunceford, student development should be a key concern for every department or unit within student services and emphasized the need for a centralized student development unit at each university.
She also touched on the need for institutions to implement support from international student affairs professional associations, professional development for student affairs practitioners, the utilization of technology to support professionals in the field, and working with international partners to explore future opportunities, as ways in which student affairs can be used to drive performance and change at universities.

The conference continued in the Scaena theatre on Friday 20 May 2011, with presentations by Dr Augustinah Duyileme, Dean of Student Affairs at Adekunle Ajasin University in Nigeria, and Prof. Bobby Mandew, Executive Director of Student Affairs at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

Dr Duyileme presented a paper on the challenges faced by Nigerian universities with regard to student conflict and protests, which often turn violent, and how such violence can be curbed through proper planning and management.

Prof. Mandew presented a very well-received presentation on UJ’s successful off-campus housing initiative, which involves home-owners and business owners in the areas surrounding their campuses.

Their approach demonstrated how proper planning can prevent problems associated with over-population in private homes and conflict with neighbours of the university, usually related to an influx of students into residential neighbourhoods.

This problem is faced by many universities, as more and more students flock to universities on the continent and campus residents cannot accommodate them.

The conference came to a close on Friday, with most delegates agreeing that the exchange of knowledge which took place was extremely valuable.

Ms Deborah Lahlan, of Nigeria, said: “This is an important conference for Africa and it should become a regular event.”
 

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