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Welcoming postgraduate students

13 March 2020 | Story Amanda Tongha and Andre Damons | Photo Johan Roux

UFS postgraduate welcoming — Attending the Postgraduate Welcoming were, from the left: Itumeleng Mutla, second-year master’s student; Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation; Prof Witness Mudzi, Director of the Postgraduate School; Hesma van Tonder, Chief Officer: Research Librarian; and John van Niekerk, a master’s student.

The University of the Free State prides itself on being an institution committed to excellence in postgraduate education. In 2019, the UFS boasted more than 6 900 postgraduate students enrolled for postgraduate diplomas, honours, master’s and doctoral qualifications. Of these, 77% previously enrolled at the UFS, while 23% started at the institution for the first time.

Targeting this group of students who make up 17% of the total number of degree-seeking students, the UFS Postgraduate School formally welcomed new senior students to the university on Friday 6 March.

Postgraduate success
“It is the best time to be a senior student, and I hope it is a wonderful experience,” said Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation in her welcoming address to the more than 150 postgraduate students gathered in the Reitz Hall of the Centenary Complex.

Giving reasons as to why Kovsie students should consider postgraduate studies, Prof Witthuhn said there are many opportunities associated with making the jump from undergraduate to postgraduate student.

“All the data shows that postgraduate studies increase employability. It creates the opportunity to deeper engage with the field that you are interested in.”

The postgraduate journey
Dr Musawenkosi Saurombe, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Psychology who became the youngest PhD holder on the African continent at age 23, was also on hand to offer advice.

“Are you willing to see the task to completion? How badly do you want it?” she challenged postgraduate students, talking about her journey from 16-year old first-year student to 23-year-old doctoral degree holder.

Itumeleng Mutla, who is in the second year of her master’s degree in Administration, said she found the speech by Dr Saurombe inspiring and encouraging. “I felt like a groupie and took pictures with her afterwards. We felt inspired by her story and she encouraged me in my own studies. I think I am also going to push to finish my studies earlier,” she said.

John van Niekerk, a master’s student in Education and Psychology, said Saurombe’s talk was brilliant and he would like her to give a talk to learners at Kimberley Boys High, where he is a teacher.

News Archive

New SRC constitution for UFS main campus agreed upon by all organisations

2005-07-20

University of the Free State Fact Sheet

1. The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) unanimously approved an amendment to the SRC constitution for the main campus to allow for the introduction of proportional representation (PR) alongside a first-past-the-post electoral system.

2. This decision was taken by the UFS Council on 10 June 2005 at the same meeting where it also approved the establishment of a Central SRC for the three campuses of the UFS.

3. The new main campus SRC constitution is the result of consensus reached during a lengthy negotiation process involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League, the ACDP, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, as well as the democratically elected SRC members of the main campus. Independent persons such as Mr Jack Klaas and Mr Kobus van Loggerenberg facilitated the negotiation process.

4. The consensus reached during this process, and the subsequent decision by Council, represent a major breakthrough for student governance and transformation of the UFS main campus and constitutes a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of all students at the UFS main campus in the governance of the university.

5. The introduction of the proportional representation system follows earlier calls by some student formations, notably Sasco and the ANC Youth League, for such a system to be introduced at the UFS main campus in Bloemfontein.

6. In terms of the amendments to the main campus SRC constitution, nine of the 18 SRC members are to elected by means of proportional representation and nine on the basis of an direct, first-past-the-post election.

7. The following portfolios of the main campus SRC will be contested by individual candidates on the basis of “first past the post”:
• president
• secretary
• academic affairs
• legal and constitutional affairs
• student development
• arts and culture
• men’s internal liaison
• ladies internal liaison
• media, marketing and liaison

8. The following nine portfolios will be contested by affiliated organizations on a proportional representation basis.
• two vice-presidents
• treasurer
• dialogue and associations
• transformation
• campus affairs and recreation
• sport
• international affairs
• community service

9. These two decisions regarding student governance represent a breakthrough in that, for the first time in many years, all SRC constitutional changes were processed and approved by the June meeting of the Council, well in time for the scheduled August SRC election; in addition, all relevant student organizations have been part of the process and all have accepted the outcome of the process.

20 July 2005

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