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New UFS programme to partner with communities in taking charge of their lives during and after COVID-19

17 July 2020 | Story Nitha Ramnath | Photo iStock

community engagement_read more — The UFS initiated a new community engagement programme to help communities take charge of their lives.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is launching a new community engagement programme to help communities take charge of their lives during and after the national lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The E-Community Engagement Programme will run for the duration of the lockdown to ensure that the UFS continues to serve all people. This programme is one of more than 120 community development programmes and projects that the UFS is involved with this year.

Rev Billyboy Ramahlele, Director: Community Engagement, says this strategy is the result of the Institutional Transformation Plan, which seeks to deepen the university’s commitment towards the betterment of our communities by creating sustainable partnerships for development. “This programme is dedicated to assisting communities to take charge of their lives during and after this pandemic and will focus on sustainable livelihoods and family support”, he says.

With these community development programmes and projects, about 3 000 UFS students spend at least 127 000 hours per year engaging in 73 service-learning modules. This excludes the clinical work done by our medical and education students in the community through community-based education and inter-professional learning. The university’s 22 student volunteer associations play an important role in community development projects. Our academics and researchers contribute their intellectual resources through their involvement, teaching, and research in different aspects of community life.

The E-Community Engagement Programme refers to an alternative online/virtual community engagement platform aimed at facilitating continuously negotiated collaborations and partnerships between the UFS and the interest groups that it interacts with, aimed at building and exchanging the knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources required to develop and sustain society. Such alternative engagement stems from adapting physical face-to-face (f2f) community engagement to an e-environment. As a result of the uncertain state of restricted f2f engagement during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of participation, dialogue, engaged learning, and teaching by university staff and students is on citizens actively participating in the development of their own lives and that of their surrounding communities.

Details of the E-Community Engagement Programme will soon be published on the UFS website, and will be presented on radio and online in partnership with Motheo FM, Mosupatsela FM, Kovsie FM, Mangaung Municipality, Towers of Hope, Princess Gabo Foundation, Rock Foundation, Bloemshelter, and all our faculties.

News Archive

UFS Council appoints agency to assist with its residence integration policy

2008-06-06

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) has appointed the Cape Town based iGubu Leadership Agency to assist with its residence integration policy.

“The agency will assist management in understanding and identifying the current obstacles related to the implementation of the residence integration policy, draw up proposals to enhance and successfully implement this integration policy, and implement these proposals to ensure successful integration within the 21 residences on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein,” says Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS.

The agency was appointed after an intensive advertising, screening and interviewing process was conducted by the university’s management. A recommendation on the successful candidate was subsequently made to the Council and the iGubu Leadership Agency was informed of its appointment this past week,” says Prof. Verschoor.

“Some of the projects that we have been involved in include the development and management of student leadership at among others the universities of Stellenbosch and Cape Town as well as the Huguenot College, and leadership initiatives such as the Beeld Youth Summit and last year’s Brightest Young Minds conference,” says Mr Rudi Buys, Chief Executive Officer. He will be working with Mr Yeki Mosomothane, Strategy Manager of the agency and a diverse team of facilitators.

Their main focus will be on investigating the trust relationships between stakeholders, establishing healthy relationships between students and the development of the skills of student leaders to establish conversations on values and meaningful change in residences and the student community.

“In the first phase of the project we will be conducting research and talk to students and other role players regarding ways of building unity on campus. After that the kind of programmes that may be implemented to further integration in residences will be determined together with stakeholders and the most suitable ones will be implemented. We will emphasise ownership and participation of processes by students and other stakeholders to ensure sustainability,” says Mr Buys.

The contract is for two and a half years and the agency must regularly report to Council via management on its progress. “We see this appointment as an investment in the integration of our residences and look forward to the interventions iGubu Leadership Agency can bring to the table,” says Prof. Verschoor.

The agency specialises in mentoring individuals and teams and in facilitating the participation of communities in transformation and reconciliation initiatives in specifically an African context, and does so from a leadership development perspective. The agency has extensive experience in facilitating programmes for diversity and integration.

iGubu Leadership Agency’s appointment goes hand in hand with the appointment of other agencies who will support management and make recommendations on how to accelerate transformation and position the UFS as an engaged and responsive university.

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
6 June 2008

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