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Embark on your Gateway to an exciting Kovsie life

23 January 2020 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa

Enrich your first University of the Free State (UFS) experiences with the annual Gateway first-year’s college. Form long-lasting friendships and memories with your fellow freshmen and gear up for a vibrant academic career at the UFS.

Gateway comprises an exciting series of student-life and learning experiences that are intended to introduce and acquaint students with their respective Kovsie campuses and overall UFS campus life.

The 2020 Gateway programme inducts first-year students into academic faculty life in order to help them adjust and settle into the university environment. It also aims to instil effective skills in them to thrive academically, and to develop into well-rounded, globally competitive graduates.

Want to experience Gateway? Here’s how

The Gateway Orientation programme on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus is conducted according to student colleges. First-year students who do not belong to an on-campus or day residence on the Bfn Campus, are assigned to a college in Exam Room 3 during their registration. This enables them to follow and be part of the series of events according to the colleges they are assigned to.

Get to know your UFS campus

UFS Campus Tours no longer form part of the Gateway Programme; however, Gateway mentors assigned to specific colleges are available for students to get in touch with, in order to arrange tours of the Bloemfontein Campus. Day-residence students and students residing on campus are paired with P3 mentors, who have been placed in their respective residences to facilitate campus tours for them.

KovsiesACTUP Performing Arts Competition

The UFS Arts, Culture and Dialogue office has partnered with the Kovsie ACT office for the 2020 Gateway programme, introducing the KovsiesACTUP Performing Arts Competition for all prospective and current students of the UFS. It is geared towards engaging students and enhancing the general social atmosphere on the Bloemfontein Campus during registration.

The competition comprises various categories, including dancing, singing, poetry, DJing, musical bands, and rap. The winner from each category will walk away with R1 500 in cash. The competition finale will be held at the RAG farm on 27 January 2020 at 14:00.

For more information on how to get involved with the Arts, Culture and Dialogue Office, students can visit the Callie Human Centre on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. The office has set up a performance stage, where fellow Kovsies associated with the office are entertaining prospective students and parents who are waiting to register.

For enquiries about Gateway on each campus, see the details below:

Bloemfontein Campus: +27 51 401 9876 or email gateway@ufs.ac.za
Qwaqwa Campus: Dulcie Malimabe, +27 58 718 5041; malimabeDP@ufs.ac.za
South Campus: Tshego Setilo, +27 51 505 1362; SetiloT@ufs.ac.za

Visit the UFS Gateway page for more information on the 2020 programme and how you can get involved.

News Archive

UFS Council confirms decision to integrate student residences

2007-09-14

At its quarterly meeting held today (Friday, 14 September 2007) the Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) confirmed the decision taken at its previous meeting that the student residences of the UFS should be racially integrated.

The decision was taken with an overwhelming majority with only one vote against it and will be implemented in January 2008.

The Council tabled and noted the resolution of the Convocation of 11 September 2007 concerning the Council’s initial decision of 8 June 2007 and urged the management to continue to be sensitive, empathetic and inclusive in dealing with the concerns and views of all stakeholders.

The Council also gave all interested parties the assurance that any suggestions that could assist in the successful implementation of its decision would be considered and called once again on all stakeholders to make proposals to the management of the UFS so as to ensure a well-managed process of integration and managing diversity in residences.

In this regard it welcomed the suggestion made by the alumni of the UFS for the introduction of a Diversity Scorecard for residences which would include a multi-dimensional range of indicators and incentives for residences. This could include the diversity profile of a residence, the academic performance of the students in a residence, inter-residence activities and community service projects launched by students.

According to the Rector and Vice-chancellor of the UFS, Prof. Frederick Fourie, the Council hereby also restated the educational motive for the integration of residences, which meant that from an educational point of view, students who had the knowledge and skills to manage diversity would have a distinct advantage in the workplace and in life.

“Today’s decision is a major step forward for the Council and the UFS to achieve a broad consensus around the promotion of diversity at the UFS and in its residences, as the institution has always been committed to giving the best education to students in a diverse and non-racial environment. I would like to call on current students, prospective students, parents, alumni and other stakeholders to make this work in the best interests of the university and its students,” Prof. Fourie said.

He added that the UFS had established several task teams comprising staff and students to implement the Council’s decision of 8 June 2007 and that much work had already been done to identify critical areas and tasks ahead of implementation in January 2008.

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
14 September 2007

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