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18 August 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Liezel Rudolph believes opportunities do not fall into your lap, but you cross them when you do what you love, and you do it well.

On more than one occasion, Liezel Rudolph set foot on the SA Agulhas II, travelling the oceans to Marion Island in her quest to research climate change. She focuses her research on reconstructing the past climate of Marion Island. 

As Lecturer in Process Geomorphology in the Department of Geography Rudolph is involved in research on glacial and peri-glacial landforms, trying to understand the links between climate and the processes that shape these landforms.

An interview with her reveals more about this scientist, adventurer, and teacher who sees pursuing one’s research interests and teaching others about it as a dream come true.

 

“Part of being a woman is to know when to be strong and to speak up, and when to be humble and listen.” – Liezel Rudolph

Is there a woman who inspires you, who you would like to celebrate this Women’s Month?

“I would like to celebrate my mother who does everything to the full. She celebrates the little things; she dreams big and she does not fear the future. She values discipline, but nurtures growth and has always encouraged (me) to be the best version of me and not to compare myself to others.”

What are some of the challenges you have faced in your life that have made you a better woman?

“I don’t like being criticised and I don’t like failing. It has taken me several years to learn that not all criticism is negative and that not all failures are final. And that is OK. I have learned to be easier on myself, and on others when I (or they) don’t meet certain expectations.”

What advice would you give to the 15-year-old you?

“When I was 15 years old, I had no idea what life would be after school – and it scared me. I now know that by following my passion and doing what I am good at, I am doing myself and the world a favour. There is no point in making loads of money if you hate going to work every day. Opportunities do not fall into your lap, but you cross them when you do what you love, and you do it well.”

What would you say makes you a champion woman [of the UFS]?

“I would not say that I am a champion woman, yet. But I would like to think that I am a woman who does her job well, and who does ‘woman’ well, too. This means bringing what I have to the table, and not comparing, criticising, or competing with anyone about what else is on the table. I still have to grow a lot in this regard.”

 

 

News Archive

Central SRC constitution for UFS approved by Council
2005-07-20

University of the Free State Fact Sheet

1. The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 10 June 2005 unanimously approved the establishment of a Central Student Representative Council (CSRC)  to constitute a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of students of all three of its campuses in the governance of the university.

2. In a major breakthrough and transformation step for student governance, the Central SRC will include representatives of the main campus in Bloemfontein, the Vista Bloemfontein campus and the Qwaqwa campus of the UFS.

3. The need to establish the Central SRC follows the incorporation of the Qwaqwa campus into the UFS in January 2003 and the incorporation of the Vista campus in Bloemfontein into the UFS in January 2004.

4. The constitution of the Central SRC is the outcome of a consensus reached during a lengthy process of negotiation between the SRCs of the three UFS campuses, indirectly involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, ANCYL, YCL, Pasma, SASO, SADESMO, AZASCO, SCO, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, ACDP, etc. Independent constitutional and political experts facilitated key parts of the negotiation process.

5. In this process, the UFS management went out of its way to ensure the participation of all student formations, especially Sasco and the ANC Youth League, as well as the duly elected SRC officials of the three campuses.

6. With the establishment of a Central SRC, the UFS has adopted a federal student governance model whereby the CSRC is the highest representative student body on matters of common concern for all students. The three campuses of the UFS will retain SRC structures for each campus with powers and responsibilities for matters affecting the particular campus.

7. The central SRC will have 12 members made up of delegates of the different campus SRCs, including the presidents of these three SRCs. In total, the main campus will have 5 representatives, the Qwaqwa campus will have 4 representatives and the Vista campus will have 3 representatives. This ratio ensures a strong voice for the smaller campuses in the central SRC.

8. This arrangement will be reviewed after a year to make allowance for the phasing out of undergraduate (pipeline) students at the Vista campus, as was agreed in the negotiations preceding the incorporation of that campus into the UFS.

9. From these 12 members a central SRC president will be chosen on a quarterly basis to represent the general student body at Executive Management, Senate and Council.

10. The historic official inauguration of the first Central SRC is scheduled to take place in early August 2005.

11. This event, like the adoption of a broadly negotiated new constitution for the main campus SRC, represents a  breakthrough in that all three campus SRCs delegations and all relevant student organizations have been part of the process and have accepted the outcome of the process.

20 July 2005

 

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