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Education dominates Qwaqwa Campus Teaching and Learning Awards

17 July 2020 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo UFS photo archive

The Faculty of Education on the Qwaqwa Campus has recently dominated the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards, as well as the Research Awards for 2019/2020. The faculty’s Drs Bunmi Omodan and Maria Tsakeni were placed first and second respectively in the category Research in Teaching and Learning. This was on top of the faculty’s accolade in the category Faculty/Department that is the most involved in Teaching and Learning events and practices on the Qwaqwa Campus.

“The faculty is indeed proud to be associated with these fine scholars and the excellence they represent,” said Faculty of Education Dean,Prof Loyiso Jita, in a congratulatory message to the faculty members.

“To the winners, please continue to live our emerging vision of ‘Representing and using our diversity, excellence in scholarship on research and teaching, and an ethic of care and service’ to produce teachers with balanced knowledge and skills and a consciousness to serve all of society in its diversity,” he added.

Winners from the faculty for the Research Awards were Dr Bekithemba Dube as the Most Prolific Researcher in the Faculty of Education and Dr Sekitla Makhasane in the category Best Emerging Researcher in the Faculty of Education.

It is the first time in years that all four faculties received Learning and Teaching Awards. Institutional awards are scheduled for September 2020.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards:

Category: Research in Learning and Teaching:

Position 1: Dr Bunmi Omodan (Faculty of Education)

Position 2: Dr Maria Tsakeni (Faculty of Education)

Category: Innovation in Learning and Teaching:

Position 1: Dr Diana Breshears and Rentia Engelbrecht (The Humanities)

Position 2: Prof Aliza le Roux (Natural and Agricultural Sciences)

Position 3: Lebohang Masoabi (Economic and Management Sciences)

Position 4: Dr Maria Tsakeni (Faculty of Education)

Category: Faculty / Departmental Award

Faculty of Education (with special mention of Dr Cias Tsotetsi; Dr Maria Tsakeni; Thabiso Motsoeneng; and Dr Sekitla Makhasane).

Research Awards per faculty:

Education

Most Prolific Researcher: Dr Bekithemba Dube (School of Education Studies)

Best Emerging Researcher: Dr Sekitla Makhasane (School of Education Studies)

The Humanities

Most Prolific Researcher: Dr Oliver Nyambi (Department of English)

Best Emerging Researcher: Dr Tshepo Moloi (Department of History)

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Most Prolific Researcher: Prof Francis Dejene (Department of Physics)

Best Emerging Researcher: Dr Lehlohonolo Koao (Department of Physics)

Economic and Management Sciences

Most Prolific Researcher: Dr Calvin Mudzingiri (Department of Economics and Finance)

Best Emerging Researcher: Dr Charity Gomo (Department of Economics and Finance)

News Archive

Oprah warms up chilly Bloemfontein

2011-06-24

Mr John Samuel (left), interim Director of the International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice; Dr Winfrey, and Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector.
Photo: Rian Horn

Transcription of speech

Photo gallery

Video clip

Dr Oprah Winfrey brought Bloemfontein a warm day in the middle of a bitter cold winter. Outside the Callie Human Centre of our university, people were shivering in temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius.

Inside, however, the audience was engulfed in the excitement and warmth of a very special occasion: media icon and philanthropist Dr Winfrey received an honorary degree in Education from our university.

The graduation was probably the biggest ceremony of its kind in South Africa. The Callie Human was packed with more than 4 500 people who had jumped for the opportunity to attend one of the great milestones in the existence of our university. They had to brave long queues to obtain tickets and to get seated. However, this just added to the excitement of seeing Dr Winfrey in real life.

The ceremony was like a huge reunion or festival. Some people had called in designers to dress them for the occasion, while others fetched their very best clothes from their wardrobes. People tweeted, sent SMS messages, phoned or brought their families with them. Cell phones and cameras captured the occasion.

The graduation ceremony was also an emotional moment for Dr Winfrey, who shed silent tears.

Her motivational talk afterwards was very inspiring. Dr Winfrey said that everybody can be successful. They just need to apply their minds to what they want.

“Never give up. You are not defined by your circumstances. There is hope. Have a vision and let that vision be bigger than yourself. Allow yourself to live in that space of yourself,” Dr Winfrey said.

About 100 volunteers from the univeristy community helped by among others showing guests to their seats, providing guests assistance with parking and taking care of general enquiries from the audience.

The university received messages of congratulations from all over for the arrangements and the professional way in which the ceremony was presented.

Media Release
25 June 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: +27 51 401 2584
Cell: +27 83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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