Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music

10 September 2020 | Story Barend Nagel | Photo Barend Nagel

There is a notable quote by one of the most prolific and influential composers ever, that says:

“The music is not in the notes,

but in the silence in between.”

- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart’s proclamation is relevant, now more than ever. In many cases, we may not realise that those who are more silent than others are most likely faced with adversity in terms of their mental health.

To counteract this silence, UFS Clinical Psychologist, Angela Vorster from the School of Clinical Medicine, devised the UFS Medical Students ‘Unplugged’ initiative as part of a larger campaign. Vorster says the campaign creates an opportunity to encourage students to reconnect with their soulful side.

“Each year we choose a mental-health issue and focus our theme on raising awareness – e.g. suicide awareness.” This year’s theme is ‘In my blood’ depression and anxiety awareness. Sadly, the 2020 ‘Unplugged’ event had to be cancelled due to the unfortunate (and mentally taxing) circumstances we are currently facing around the globe. Nonetheless, Vorster’s evident compassion and benevolence towards individuals’ mental health did not allow the pandemic to discourage her from finding innovative ways of keeping harmony.

“Once we all returned to a 'new normal', I invited our students to submit recordings of their music. This then became a channel of its own on YouTube – and we could not be prouder of our musically talented students.” According to Vorster, research and literature have established that music has a significant impact on relieving emotional distress and improving our moods. “It became evident during therapy sessions how important music is in helping our students express their emotions, relax, and also engage their creativity,” says Vorster.

With Mental Health Month inching it’s way closer, and World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, we should all embrace the ‘magic’ of music and the positive effects it has on our psychological and mental well-being. So, turn up the volume and defeat the silence in your life with your favourite music. Play an instrument, turn up the volume on your iPod, sing in the shower, or watch the UFS Students ‘Unplugged’ videos on YouTube; allow music to heal your ‘silences in between’.

News Archive

Fasset continues to fuel academic excellence at the UFS

2017-12-15

Programme Director: School of Accounting, Prof Hentie van Wyk, and
Dean: Economic and Management Sciences, Prof Hendri Kroukamp
excited about the unveiling of the Finance and Accounting Services
Sector Education and Training Authority (Fasset)
plaque at the School of Accounting.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

The School of Accounting on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) held an unveiling ceremony for a Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Fasset) plaque. The plaque was unveiled by UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, and Fasset CEO, Lesego Lebuso. This was in honour of Fasset’s partnership with the UFS and its contribution towards driving academic excellence through its Intrabas projects over the past few years.

Funding for teaching and learning initiatives
These projects support the development of black student enrolment and performance in Accounting Studies. During the previous year, Fasset gave the UFS R54 million in funding to support teaching and learning initiatives for 960 black Accounting students. These students were enrolled for BAcc, BCom(Acc), BAcc(Hons)/PGDipCA, and BCom(Hons in Acc)/PGDipGA studies. In the same year, a celebratory ceremony was held at the South Campus for 125 Fasset-funded students to celebrate their academic excellence.

Prof Hentie van Wyk, Programme Director: School of Accounting, said, “FASSET funding will give the Centre for Accounting (as it was then called) an opportunity to strengthen our current student-centred teaching model”. This seemed like a prophecy, because at the beginning of 2017, the class of 2016 BAccHons students achieved a 96% pass rate in the 2017 Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examinations of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Millions contributed towards accounting degrees
In 2017, Fasset sponsored 114 students on the Bloemfontein Campus with full bursaries amounting to more than R20 million through the Intrabas bursary fund for degree qualifications in BAccHons, BComHons (Acc), BAcc, BComAcc and BComAcc Extended programmes, as well as the tutorial programme managed by the School of Accountancy. On the Qwaqwa Campus, Fasset has given more than R7 million worth of funding.

James Veitch, Senior Officer: School of Accounting, said, “A decision was made to rather fund less students so that they could be assisted with greater effect, and students who did not qualify for the bursaries, would still be assisted through the support programme.”

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept