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04 September 2020 | Story Prof Francis Petersen

 

Dear Student,

On 26 August 2020, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, delivered a statement on COVID-19 alert Level 2 measures in the post-school education and training sector. This was followed by a letter to students from Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), dated 27 August 2020.   

The UFS is taking a structured and phased-in approach to return its students and staff to the campuses. In his statement, Dr Nzimande indicated that a maximum of 66% of the student population would be allowed to return to campus during Level 2 of the national lockdown. However, taking into consideration the adherence to physical distancing and hygiene measures, the capacity of the university’s lecture venues allows for 52% of the student cohort to return to campus during Level 2. 

The university management is aware that students have been enquiring about their return to campus and wishes to bring the following under your attention:

1 STUDENTS RETURNING TO CAMPUS DURING LEVEL 2

1.1. Students who are required to return to campus during Level 2 will be informed by the university, providing a permit for access to the campus.

1.2. Although the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has indicated that all first-year students in all undergraduate programmes may return during Level 2, this is only a guideline. The UFS’s approach is NOT for all first-year students to return to the campuses, but has opted for first-year students in laboratory/practical programmes to return. This means that first-year students in the Faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Health Sciences will return to the campuses during Level 2. 

1.3      NOTE: If you have NOT been contacted, you will be supported through  remote multimodal teaching, learning, and assessment until you are informed by your faculty that you can return to campus. 

2 CAMPUS ACCESS PERMITS

2.1 A campus access permit may only be issued to students who form part of the cohort of students who may return to campus during Level 2 of the national lockdown. 

2.2 Students who received a campus access permit during Level 3, may use the same permit to obtain access to campus during Level 2. 

2.3 A campus access permit may only be issued by the Senior Director: UFS Human Resources on request from the faculty dean’s office. The permit will be sent via email to the student concerned after it has been issued. 

2.4 To get access to the campus, you must be in possession of the campus access permit and your valid student card. The daily screening protocols and procedures must also be adhered to. This includes completing the COVID-19 online screening questionnaire before entering the campuses. The principle of ‘no mask, no campus entry’ remains in place. 

2.5 According to the national lockdown regulations, international students will only be allowed to return to South Africa during Level 1 of the national lockdown.
 
3 STUDENTS IN RESIDENCES

3.1 It is important for students living in residences on campus to note that the university aims, as far as possible, to maintain the principle of ‘one student per room’ for the sake of physical distancing.

3.2 Please make sure that you have received your campus access permit 

before returning to campus.

 3.3 Students who live in on-campus accommodation and who are required to return to campus must please first contact the Department of Housing and Residence Affairs (HRA) at resapplications@ufs.ac.za to make the necessary arrangements before starting their journey back to campus. These students must also ensure that they are in the possession of a campus access permit.

3.4 Students who still have academic books in their rooms, have a second opportunity in September 2020 to request that it be sent to them by the Department of Housing and Residence Affairs (HRA). This process is currently underway. The university can unfortunately still not allow students who, for instance – want to collect their belongings – to return to campus if they do not form part of the current cohort. 

4   FAST GUIDE FOR THE RETURN OF STUDENTS TO CAMPUS

A Fast Guide for the Return of Students to Campus has been compiled to assist those students who are required to return to campus during Level 2.

5 ACADEMIC SUPPORT

In an effort to ensure that the academic project continues and all students are supported and not left behind. The university’s student facing support services have been adapted to offer you support during this time. 

Look out for the #UFSLearnOn campaign and reach out to any of the following services:

• Tutorial support: 
+27 51 401 2444 

• Academic advising:
Bloemfontein Campus: advising@ufs.ac.za 
Qwaqwa Campus: advisingqq@ufs.ac.za
South Campus: advisingsc@ufs.ac.za 

6   STUDENT WELLNESS SUPPORT

Taking control of your mental wellbeing is essential and you are encouraged to adopt an active approach to fostering your mental health and building resilience. The following resources are available to assist you in promoting and supporting your wellbeing:

• Student Counselling and Development:
Bloemfontein Campus: T: +27 51 401 2853 | E: SCD@ufs.ac.za
South Campus: T: +27 51 505 1298 | E: SCDSouth@ufs.ac.za
Qwaqwa Campus: T: +27 58 718 5033 | E: SCDQQ@ufs.ac.za

• UFS Student 24 Hour Toll-Free Careline (Mental Health Support):
0800 00 6363

News Archive

Launch of the Africa office of the IIDE
2006-05-25

Attending the launch of the Africa office of the IIDE were from the left Prof Sytse Strijbos (Chairperson of IIDE Europe), Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS) and Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS).

 

Attending the launch were from the left Prof Lucius Botes (Director: Centre of Development Support at the UFS), Dr Samuel Kareithi (Head: Community Development at the Cornerstone Christian College, Cape Town), Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS), Prof Sytse Strijbos (Chairperson of IIDE Europe) and Dr Ezekiel Moraka (Vice-Rector:  Student Affairs at the UFS).

Africa office of IIDE launched on UFS main campus 

The Africa office of the International Institute for Development and Ethics (IIDE) was today (26 May 2006) launched on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein.

“The IIDE specialises in the studying and research of general questions of developmental theory and practices and provides services and support in education, strategic planning, policy formulation, advocacy and capacity building of development agencies,” said Rev Kiepie Jaftha, Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS.

According to Rev Jaftha the IIDE in Africa will focus on the conceptual and normative aspects of developmental processes in Sub-Saharan Africa.  “We want to foster local and international partnerships with various relevant role-players in civil society, the private sector and public sector in the SACD region and later expand our operations to the rest of Africa,” said Rev Jaftha.

The IIDE in Africa cooperates with a similar foundation in Europe, functioning as the IIDE Europe.  This institute was founded in 2003 and its head office is situated in the Netherlands.  The UFS is a funder of the IIDE in Africa together with the Paul Foundation and private sponsors from the Netherlands.

“We have already started with various projects which are in various stages of implementation,” said Rev Jaftha.  Some of these projects include, among others, the broadening of the master’s degree in Christian Studies of Science and Society (MACSSS) which is currently housed at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam to tertiary institutions in South Africa such as the UFS, the University of Stellenbosch and the Potchefstroom Campus of the Northwest University.

“Another project is an investigation into the possibility of initiating a broad development initiative in the poverty stricken Qwaqwa area.  This initiative will attempt to concentrate on issues like the training and empowerment of prospective entrepreneurs in the region, the identification of prospective entrepreneurs for the rendering of development support and the monitoring of the impact of information and communication technology on local communities during the implementation of sustainable development initiatives,” said Rev Jaftha.

“The establishment of the Africa office of the IIDE on the UFS Main Campus is an indication of one of the aims of the UFS to play a role in South Africa and Africa.  It also signifies our aim to contribute meaningfully to research and development and to establish links between the academe and practice,” said Rev Jaftha. 

 

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
26 May 2006

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