Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
21 August 2021 | Story Michelle Nöthling

What does the best university community look like? And what would a better South Africa look like?

In the last couple of weeks, our conversations have been dominated by topics of violence that have spilled into our communities. We have shared our fears with each other and talked about the complexities that gave rise to this rage within our society. We also witnessed communities pulling together in the midst of the destruction, reminding us of our common humanity. 

If you had the opportunity to help build the best university you could imagine, would you step into that space? If you could help create a prospering South African society, would you act?

This is what the Division of Student Affairs is calling you to do. Join us as we embark on a journey of reimagining and ultimately co-creating the community we want. It starts with a conversation. A conversation where your voice is important and welcomed, and where we regard your presence as essential to realise our shared dreams.

We call you as a member of the UFS community—students and staff alike—to join our circle of conversation. We will make use of deeply engaging methods and break-out rooms to create a safe and brave space that encourages mutual sharing and deep listening. 

Add your vision and voice to the conversation to collectively imagine and build the best version of our university.

UFS Community Conversation
Date: Wednesday, 1 September
Time: 16:00 – 18:00
Platform: Zoom (in order to best support universal access and methodology)

Registration is required:

For reasonable accommodation requirements (e.g., closed captioning, or sign language interpreters), contact Michelle Nöthling at nothlingm@ufs.ac.za.

We also have information session leading up to our main conversation. During these sessions, we welcome your questions and together start to explore the concept of community in a collaborative environment.  

Information sessions
Monday, 23 August 2021, 15:00 – 16:00
Tuesday, 24 August 2021, 15:00 – 16:00
Wednesday, 25 August 2021, 15:00 – 16:00
Thursday, 26 August 2021, 15:00 – 16:00
Monday, 30 August 2021, 15:00 – 16:00
Tuesday, 31 August 2021, 15:00 – 16:00

Click here to access any of the information sessions. No registration is required for these sessions.

News Archive

UFS gets more than R3 Million for HIV/Aids activities
2007-12-13

 

In the picture are some of the members of the project team. From the left are: Mr Pieter du Plessis (Finances), Ms Estelle Heideman (HIV/Aids Co-ordinator: Lengau Agri Development Centre) and Rev Jaftha.
 

UFS gets more than R3 Million for HIV/Aids activities

The Chief Directorate: Community Service at the University of the Free State (UFS) has received more than R3 million to intensify activities regarding HIV/AIDS at all UFS campuses for the next seventeen months.

Higher Education HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) contributed R3 127 207 and the UFS R615 116 towards this initiative. The money will be used to implement intervention strategies from 1 January 2008 to 31 May 2009.

“The mandate poses an extensive challenge and puts pressure on the institution, but at the same time creates some incredible opportunities for intervention,” said the Chief Director of Community Service and Project Co-ordinator, Rev. Kiepie Jaftha.

HEAIDS is a nationally co-ordinated initiative to develop and strengthen the capacity of South African higher education institutions to respond to the causes, challenges and consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the sector. It is an initiative of the Department of Education and the implementing agency is Higher Education South Africa (HESA), an organisation representing vice-chancellors of tertiary institutions in South Africa.

The proposed areas and actions of intervention are categorised into three main components, namely:

- Prevention, treatment, care and support aimed at both students and staff on all UFS campuses.
Incorporation of HIV/AIDS issues into the teaching offerings of the UFS and the development of a formal policy in this regard.

- Implementation of an integrated management information system to empower stakeholders to make decisions and adapt actions by visualising facts, actions and progress on the overall HIV/AIDS programme.

The UFS met all the requirements of HEAIDS to qualify for this funding. A five-member team was formed to come up with a document entitled The Quest for an AIDS Competent Society that met the required standards.

“Each institution of higher learning had to identify and establish a project team, appoint a project leader, assign responsibilities to members of the team with different expertise, analyse the needs of the institution, and define and agree on projects in order to access the grant,” said Rev. Jaftha.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za  
13 December 2007

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