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UFS online registration underway

17 February 2021 | Story Andre Damons

The registration process for senior students at the University of the Free State (UFS) is well underway; for the first time in the history of the university, students can only register online this year. Online registration and orientation for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students started on 8 February 2021 and will conclude on 26 February 2021. For first-year students, online registration and orientation will take place from 1 to 13 March 2021.

“At the end of 2020, the UFS was one of the few universities in the country that was able to complete its academic year in December. This is indeed an achievement to be extremely proud of. 2021 will be a year like no other for our students and staff. Apart from the normal activities on our campuses at the beginning of an academic year, we are following a minimalistic approach to the return of staff and students during the first semester, as our country is still in lockdown. It is also important to keep our staff and students safe,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

During the first semester, the UFS will continue with an online/blended learning and teaching approach for first-year and senior undergraduate students. This means that some classes will be online, some in contact or face-to-face mode, and others a combination of contact and online. “The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global shift towards the integration of technology into learning and teaching, which the university is embracing this year,” says Prof Petersen.

Due to the national lockdown regulations and the capacity of the university’s infrastructure to adhere to physical distancing protocols, the UFS is limiting the number of students who will be returning to the campuses next month. Students will be contacted by their faculties if they are required to return to the campuses.

“We look forward to welcoming back our students for the first semester. Strict safety protocols are maintained on all our campuses, including hygiene, social distancing, and the wearing of masks. It is also a privilege to welcome the new cohort of first-year students entering the university for the first time,” says Prof Petersen.

The university also offers online academic advising to help students plan their academic journey and to guide them through decision-making processes related to their study modules. Academic advising for senior and postgraduate students will take place from 1 to 26 February 2021, and for first-year students from 8 to 13 March 2021.

News Archive

UFS responds to revocation of the accreditation of the SA Doping Control Laboratory by WADA

2017-07-01

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) yesterday informed the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) at the University of the Free State (UFS) that the WADA accreditation status of the laboratory has been revoked.

This revocation does, however, not include the analysis of blood samples for the Athlete Biological Passport for which SADoCoL has been re-accredited in August 2016 and which the laboratory will continue to perform. It also does not impact at all on the testing of urine sport samples by the South African Institute of Drug-free Sport (SAIDS), who will continue to send such samples for testing to other WADA accredited laboratories, while blood samples will be tested at SADoCoL as before.

The revocation follows a year long period of suspension in which the laboratory had to develop its analytical capabilities and instate new systems and methodologies. “In this period the laboratory worked diligently to realize all of these requirements and according to an inspection team from the WADA Laboratory Expert Group who visited the laboratory in February 2017, much has been done and the Laboratory is in a much better state than it was before the suspension in May 2016,” says prof Marthinus van der Merwe, Director of SADoCoL.

“However, there were certain aspects of these requirements that the laboratory could not achieve within the time-frame stipulated by WADA and therefore the organisation is bound by its rules and regulations to now revoke the accreditation status of the laboratory. Since much effort and resources have been invested in the laboratory in the last two years, the management of SADoCoL together with senior leadership of the UFS decided to go ahead and finalise all development in order to re-apply for WADA accreditation,” says prof van der Merwe.

“The UFS fully acknowledges the hard work of SADoCoL during the period of development and is committed to support the laboratory in its endeavors to re-attain its status within the very specialised and highly regulated community of world-wide doping control laboratories. The premium goal of the laboratory is still to fully serve the sporting community of South Africa and Africa according to the WADA guidelines for anti-doping control in Sport and it is confident to attain that with the support of all role players in this field,” says Prof Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research at the UFS.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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