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01 January 2020
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Story Eugene Seegers
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Photo Kaleidoscope Studios | Sonia Small
Dr Maria Madiope took over the reins of the UFS South Campus at the beginning of January 2020.
The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the appointment of Dr Maria ‘Marinkie’ Madiope as Principal of the South Campus for Open Distance Learning (ODL) during a meeting held on 20 September 2019. Dr Madiope took over the reins of the UFS South Campus at the beginning of January 2020.
Educator at heart
Educating and empowering others are key aspects of Dr Madiope's life. She has served as the Director for University Teaching and Learning at Unisa since 2015 and takes her role incredibly seriously, achieving a transformative curriculum at the colleges under her care since her appointment.
Dr Madiope holds a PhD in Education from Unisa, with a specialisation in Didactics; her next two degrees where completed at the then RAU, which is today known as the University of Johannesburg: a BEd in 1999, followed by an MEd in 2001, both specialising in Computer-based Instruction. She previously obtained her BA Ed in 1985 and a BEd in 1988 from the University of the North. Her initial training as a teacher was from the Hebron College of Education from 1980-81.
Dr Madiope is also the editor of the only journal in ODL, Progressio, since 2016. Her expertise in E-learning is another of her strong points. Together with her team, Dr Madiope designed and developed the first online course in Curriculum Transformation, which is being piloted at Unisa. Her work has been rewarded with awards such as the Unisa Gender Activism: Advocacy and Promotion of Women’s Rights 2013, Unisa Woman of the Year 2013, and Unisa Best Performer 2013.
Dr Madiope brings with her a wealth of experience to UFS and her vision is to increase access to a wider base of learners with potentially having more African learners enrolled. The first point of call would be to have more learners coming from Lesotho and then the rest of the SADEC region, having the UFS become a leading distance-learning university. One of the key projects that Dr Madiope wishes to tackle is early childhood development. “I believe in educating educators to ensure that they are best equipped to provide the latest and relevant Early childhood and development practices that are on par with the rest of the world,” she says.
Community leader
In addition to being an experienced educator and administrator, Dr Madiope is instrumental in community projects that lie close to her heart. Whether it is large-scale advocacy for women’s rights or her personal involvement in the supply of sanitary towels for schoolgirls as part of a programme to empower the girl child through exposing them to options, it is humbling to watch her compassion in action.
She further intends to strengthen the relationship of the university with TVET Colleges and community colleges by providing mutually beneficial programmes that will up-skill those colleagues by giving them an opportunity to work with experienced UFS staff members. She says, “Reaching out to colleagues in TVET and Community colleges will offer them the opportunity to advance their lecturing and learning programmes, which will only lead to benefiting their learners and South Africa as a whole.”
UFS hockey teams crowned as Free State hockey champions
2009-09-21
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The University of the Free State’s (UFS) men’s and women’s hockey teams were recently crowned as the Free State hockey champions during the championship that took place on the university's astro fields in Bloemfontein.
Kovsie women defeated Raiders (the defending champions) 6-0 and the Kovsie men’s hockey team successfully defended their title against Tweespruit. During a penalty shootout UFS Reds beat the team of the Central University of Technology (CUT 1) 8-7, thereby ending in the third position.
Very early on the Kovsie women’s hockey team showed that they wanted to break the five-year drought without a trophy and within the first ten minutes they took the lead with 2-0 against Raiders. Liza Dreyer scored her first two goals out of four and from that moment on the Raiders were with their backs against the wall. With the score of 4-0 at halftime it was clear that Kovsies would have a second trophy in their cupboard after their recent success during the USSA championships. After halftime, Odie Swart scored another goal from a penalty corner and Liza scored her fourth goal, to bring the end score to 6-0. Malisa Kala was the other Kovsie who scored a goal.
Odie Swart, captain of the Kovsies played her last match for the Kovsies with Cat van Zuydam. She excelled in the attack as well as in the defence.
The Kovsies men’s hockey team has now done it three out of three times! Within the first twenty minutes the Kovsies men’s hockey team defeated Tweespruit with brilliant hockey by scoring three goals. Luke Sanan (2) and Kurt Henzberg (1) scored the goals. All three the goals were well-executed field goals. The current Kovsie team is surely the best-rounded hockey team that the Free State has had over the last ten years. In the past three years the students played in more than 45 club matches and they did not lose one match!
With the joy also comes sadness. For Braam van Wyk it was his last match as coach of a Kovsie team. For the past 17 years Braam has been involved with Kovsie hockey, in which he led the girls to twelve victories in the Free State league. The last three years he managed the men’s team, who won the league for the past three consecutive years, indeed an achievement. With Braam, three other senior players of the past three years made their last appearance for Kovsies. They are Morne Odendaal, Renaldo Ogle and Braam van Wyk (jr.).
Literally during the last moments of their game against CUT 1, the UFS Reds, who were 1-4 behind, scored a goal, which brought the final score to 4-4. The Kovsie students won the penalty shootout with 4-3, thereby winning 8-7 and thus ending third in this year’s men’s Free State league.
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