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UFS partners with local radio stations to address community issues

08 December 2020 | Story Dikgapane Makhetha | Photo Supplied

In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Directorate: Community Engagement (CE) has initiated an innovative platform on which students can continue to engage with university community partners, and at the same time be assessed for their service-learning and community engagement projects.

The E-Engagement approach also meets the University of the Free State’s (UFS) strategic mandate to be a caring, responsive, and engaged university. Coordinated by the UFS CE office, academic staff and students are scheduled to engage with the community partners through radio broadcasts and virtual mode platforms. Informative content that has been researched, prepared, and presented by students in a pre-recorded format, will address significant issues brought about by the surge of COVID-19, creating a breeding ground for some of the societal ills, such as gender-based violence (GBV).

In order to establish sustainable relationships with community radio stations, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with two local community radio stations was signed on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus on 10 October 2020. Prof Puleng LenkaBula, the Vice-Rector: Institutional Change, Student Affairs, and Community Engagement, and Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, CE Director, participated in the commitment to formalise the relationship between the UFS and the two radio stations, Mosupatsela FM and Motheo FM.

Master’s students from the Department of Psychology have produced and pre-recorded podcasts on community psychology. Their topics covered grief and self-compassion. The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics presented topics on a healthy lifestyle and diet. Fourth-year students from the School of Nursing have engaged new mothers concerning post-natal care. The School of Clinical Medicine has addressed the warning signs of burnout and preventative measures.

Bishop Ramahlele emphasised the importance of sustained relationship, which is expected to create further opportunities for interaction through partnerships in skills training (ICT) and the sharing of resources, including consultations through conference platforms. Prof LenkaBula highlighted the significance of the MOA by applauding the initiative, which has unlimited potential to ensure national development through student engagement, since universities create development sites that can be transferred further into the community.

News Archive

First-year students encouraged to attend UFS welcoming function

2006-01-12

The University of the Free State (UFS) will host a welcoming function for all new first-year students and their parents on Saturday 14 January 2006 in the Callie Human Centre on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The function starts at 11:00 and will be addressed by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Frederick Fourie. UFS staff will also be available to provide vital information to first-year students on academic matters.

According to Mr Vernon Collett, Registrar: Academic Student Services at the UFS, Saturday’s welcoming function can assist students and parents by providing vital information on the many high quality academic learning programmes on offer at the UFS in six faculties.

“If students and parents have this information it will make the registration process, which starts next week Tuesday 17 January 2006, much smoother,” Mr Collett said.

The UFS has split the registration process into various categories of students and Mr Collett appealed to all students to adhere to the dates and times which apply to them as a one-stop service will be available so as to avoid unnecessary delays in the registration process.

The registration of first-time entering first-year students who applied before 30 November 2005 to study at the Bloemfontein Campus will take place from Tuesday 17 January 2006 at the Callie Human Centre.

Senior undergraduate students (that is, students entering their second or later year of study) may register from 23 January 2006.

Postgraduate students, first-time entering first-year students and other students who applied for admission to the main campus after 30 November 2005 must register at the Callie Human from 2 February 2006.

Late applications will be accepted until Wednesday 25 January 2006 at the Information Centre on the Main Campus’ Thakaneng Bridge. These applications will be regarded as pending and will be processed as places become available on the programme the student has applied for,” said Mr Collett.

Vista Campus:
The Vista Campus in Bloemfontein – which was incorporated into the UFS in January 2004 – no longer accepts applications from first-year students. Such prospective students had to apply to the UFS Main Campus. Students who had been registered on the Vista campus last year must register at the Vista Campus on the same dates as applicable on the Main Campus.

Qwaqwa Campus:
At the Qwaqwa Campus of the UFS, all first-time entering first-year students must report on Thursday 19 January 2006, after which the registration of these students will take place according to a specific programme. The official welcoming functioning for new first-years at the Qwaqwa campus of the UFS will take place on Saturday 11 February 2006 at 08:00 in the Rolihlahla Mandela Hall on the Qwaqwa Campus.

Mr Collett appealed to first-year students who have applied to study at the Qwaqwa Campus and their parents to attend this function which fulfils the same role as the one held on the Bloemfontein Main Campus.

Detailed information on the dates and times of registration for the various faculties and academic learning programmes is available on the UFS website at www.uovs.ac.za. Prospective students may also call the Main Campus in Bloemfontein on (051) 401-3000 or the Qwaqwa Campus on (058) 718-5000 for more information.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
10 January 2006

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