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13 August 2020 | Story Eugene Seegers | Photo Charl Devenish
Gugu believes in empowering students to successfully complete their higher-education journey.

Gugu Wendy Tiroyabone is Head of Advising, Access and Success in the Centre for Teaching and Learning. She says she is on a journey to become a champion womxn, with her advocacy for student access with success in higher education being the vehicle that is propelling her. Gugu says her superpower is “knowing how to win without being loud”.

1. Please tell us about yourself: Who are you and what do you do at the university? 
Self-awareness, simplicity, and service is who I am and what I, Gugu Wendy Tiroyabone (née Khanye), embody. My Zulu name, loosely translated, means ‘precious’, and I firmly believe that the work I do at the UFS Centre for Teaching and Learning — academic advising and RPL — align with my name, serving students in this invaluable experience of being afforded the opportunity to access higher education and ultimately being guided to success.

2. Is there a woman who inspires you and who you would like to celebrate this Women’s Month, and why?
Mmm … tricky to single out only one. There are a few — top of the charts is most certainly my mother, a servant leader — in everything she does; she is there to listen, hear and understand, empathise, heal, build, and is committed to the growth of others. Aunty Basetsana (Bassie) Kumalo is another womxn I celebrate – television personality, businesswomxn, and philanthropist — a brand that inspires me to be the best version of me so that I can reach my dreams.

3. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your life that have made you a better woman?
I would say one of the biggest challenges I faced in my early 20s would have to be low self-confidence and a low self-esteem. Those who know me would disagree, but unfortunately it gets the best of us and it was my reality. I struggled with acceptance, and when I took some time out to check in with myself, I learned that knowing how to win without making a noise is my superpower; since realising this, I refuse to live below my potential.

4. What advice would you give to a 15-year-old you?
You don’t have to change your dreams to realise them; rather, as you grow, adapt and adopt your approaches to the season/year — these small adaptations will propel you towards fulfilling your dreams. Someone else can make your dreams come true, but only you can realise your dreams.

5. What would you say makes you a champion woman, or a champion woman of the UFS?
I would like to believe that I am still becoming a champion womxn, not there just yet. But my advocacy for student access with success in higher education is what is driving me towards being a champion womxn – without meaningful access, student success is hollow. So, we need to work collectively as a sector and institution to achieve this.

 

 

 

 

News Archive

Unconditional accreditation for Architecture at the UFS
2008-08-20

The Department of Architecture at the University of the Free State (UFS) is so far the only department of its kind in the country to obtain unconditional accreditation from the South African Council for the Architecture Profession (SACAP) for all three its programmes.

“SACAP has already visited seven out of a possible ten institutions in the country who present Architecture. Of these, only the UFS’s Department of Architecture has so far received unconditional accreditation. This is indeed an achievement for us,” said Prof. Jan Smit, Head of the Department.

According to Prof. Smit, the SACAP’s evaluation of all institutions who offer Architecture takes place every four years. During the accreditation process in 2004, the department also received unconditional accreditation for the two programmes it presented at that stage, namely the B.A.S. degree and the B.Arch. degree. Since then, the B.Arch. degree has fallen away and the qualifications the department now offers are the B.A.S. degree, B.A.S. (Hons.) and the M.Arch.(Prof.).

“The unconditional accreditation serves as proof that the qualifications obtained by our students are of value and that it enjoys local and international recognition. It is also an indication that our students’ training is up to standard,” said Prof. Smit.

The criteria students are evaluated on includes the facilities, degrees and courses presented, the standard of exam papers and assignments of a subject, the style of management and staff compilation. The panel of judges comprise of among others a representative from the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), who reports to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). “This is an indication of the high level on which the evaluation is being done,” said Prof. Smit.


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  
20 August 2008
 

 

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