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#UFSupdate: Bloemfontein Campus registration process to continue on Monday 27 January 2020

23 January 2020 | Story Lacea Loader

Update: 26 January 2020
Bloemfontein Campus registration process to continue on Monday 27 January 2020

The registration process for students on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) will continue on Monday 27 January 2020 as per the registration programme.

First-year students who have not registered must refer to their email, the university’s self-service portal, and the Call Centre (051 401 9666) for information. Senior students can visit registration venues on campus if they require academic advice.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

Update: 24 January 2020
Bloemfontein Campus registration process not to continue the afternoon of Friday 24 January 2020

The first-year registration process on the Bloemfontein Campus will not continue after 13:00 today (Friday 24 January 2020), but will resume on Monday 27 January 2020.

This decision taken by the executive management of the university comes after a number of students disrupted the registration process this morning and prevented first-year students to enter registration venues.

Constant engagements with the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) and the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the Bloemfontein Campus have taken place since the beginning of the year regarding matters of concern to students, and the executive management will continue to do so. The university management is disappointed with this morning’s disruptive behaviour led by the Bloemfontein Campus SRC, despite these regular engagements.

The situation on the campus is being closely monitored by the university’s Protection Services and the South African Police Service.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

News Archive

UFS hosts sign language workshop to educate parents

2017-05-22

Back row; from left; John Keitsemore from
Bartimea School for the Deaf; Philip Cook,
the headmaster at De la Bat School for the
Deaf in Worcester; Jeannie Cook, De la Bat School
for the Deaf; front, from left; Marisa Vermeulen, mother
of two deaf children and teacher at Bartimea
School for the Deaf in Thaba Nchu; Marianne Kühn,
audiologist, and Susan Lombaard, acting Head of the
Department of South African Sign Language.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

“Ninety percent of deaf children are born into hearing families. When parents first receive the news, they are shocked, angry and confused,” says Susan Lombaard, Acting head of the Department of South African Sign Language at the University of the Free State (UFS).

The department hosted a workshop, “Early intervention options for the child with a hearing loss”, on Friday 12 May 2017 on the Bloemfontein Campus. “It is the first time a sign language workshop of this kind was hosted by the Department of South African Sign Language at the UFS,” says Lombaard, who facilitated the workshop. They hope to make it an annual event.

Parents of deaf children do not always know how they will communicate with their children or where the child must attend school. The workshop aimed to provide parents with the necessary information on different communication options and also touched on school placement.

Support group for parents established
A support group for parents was also established, the first of its kind in the province. It will provide much-needed support, information and guidance for parents of deaf children.

Some of the speakers at the workshop included Anri Esterhuizen, an audiologist; Marianne Kühn from the Carel du Toit Centre, Marisa Vermeulen, who is a mother of two deaf children, and Phillip Cook, the headmaster at De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester, in the Western Cape. Jeannie Cook, also a presenter, provided information on sign language acquisition of the small deaf child, which is done through creative play.

Professionals have responsibility
South African Sign Language is a language in its own right and is not international. “Sign language is a visual language with its own grammar and syntax different from spoken language,” Lombaard said.

There has been much controversy surrounding teaching deaf children to speak and teaching them to sign. “We as professionals have the responsibility to provide information on all options. This is to help the parent make informed decisions about communication and school placement.”

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