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Make a difference wherever you go, says Prof Helena van Zyl on retiring after 41 years

25 June 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied

Prof Helena Van Zyl_web read more — Prof Helena van Zyl

Prof Helena van Zyl, beloved, long-time academic and Head of the Business School at the University of the Free State (UFS), will retire at the end of June 2021 after arriving at the university more than 40 years ago and serving as Director of the Business School for 18 years. Prof Van Zyl has been a steady leader, not just in the Business School, but also for the vast array of students who made the UFS Business School their preferred choice. Starting out as a student assistant in the early ’80s in the then Department of Money and Banking, Prof Van Zyl progressed to become a junior lecturer in 1982, which placed her in a key position to eventually apply for Directorship of the Business School.

The journey

“The university went through some very tough and equally delightful times; during the nineties, strict austerity measures were implemented. In 1987, the department received its first computer; one for the entire department. The internet was from a different planet. Some of the senior academics refused to use the internet and emails. All their letters and other communication were still typed by appointed typists. I saw many rectors, deans, colleagues come and go – each management era had its own challenges and opportunities. In the end, it all worked out for the better,” says Prof Van Zyl.

“A highlight of my journey was the long road with my personal assistant, Alta Myburgh. I have known her since 1983 when she was a third-year student in my class, went on to become a student assistant, and with the exception of three years (if I remember correctly), she was next to me with loyalty that you will seldom find,” she explains. “When the Business School moved to its own address/building, it was certainly a highlight, but the ultimate was to contribute to students’ development and growth. For me, it has always been about the students and my staff,” says Prof Van Zyl.

Invest in students and employees

Prof Van Zyl believes that success builds on integrity and that contributing to the development and growth of students and employees is integral to the success of any institution. “To add value to people’s lives is very rewarding. One of the biggest lessons that I have learnt is that you need to empower the students and employees; invest in them, and they will invest in you. I am not convinced that we always got it right to manage our people correctly, but I guess this will remain an ongoing challenge,” she says. “I have learnt that if you create a platform of trust and belief in people, then they thrive,” explains Prof Van Zyl.

Looking forward

As Prof Van Zyl wraps up her journey at the UFS, she reflects on the past and what the future holds. “It was a privilege to work at the university, and I cannot extend enough gratefulness for all the opportunities I had. When I started working at the UFS, very few – if any – programmes were in place to assist new appointees with orientation, induction, etc., and you had to find your own way. I believe this has in a strange way contributed to one’s development and growth,” she says.

As for retirement, Prof Van Zyl is looking forward to travelling again, enjoy watching sport, gardening, and listening to classical music. “I will continue working part-time in the field of quality assurance, and also use this time to embrace new things. There is life after retirement,” she says.

Prof Van Zyl would like to be remembered for “sensitising people to seize the opportunities in life, and to make a difference – wherever you go, make a difference in your life and your work.”

Well wishes

Dr Liezel Massyn, Programme Director: BML Programme, UFS Business School

“Prof Helena embodies the Business School’s philosophy through the tagline, ‘Be worth more’. She challenges us to be worth more every day, in every aspect of our lives. She is a tough cookie. There are rules, and when you get to meet her, you learn very quickly that there is one way – the right way – to get things done. She asks tough questions and always strives to improve. She taught us the unwritten rules of the academic world, the academic knowledge of her field (whether you want to hear it or not), and life skills to survive and thrive in challenging situations. She is always willing to walk a thousand miles with you and has a deep concern for her staff and students – always interested in everyone’s story and continuously investing in people. Prof, thank you for not only living – ‘Be worth more’ – but also inspiring the next generation to make it part of our values.”

Dr Johan Coetzee, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and Finance

“Prof Helena taught me from my second year of study in 1997 and was instrumental in my development as a scholar. She has set an example for so many people of a strong woman who gets things done, while at the same time showing such compassion that you are inspired. The UFS is losing one of the ‘legends’ of yesteryear. She will be impossible to replace.”

News Archive

MBA Programme - Question And Answer Sheet - 27 May 2004

2004-05-27

1. WHAT MUST THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE (UFS) DO TO GET FULL ACCREDITATION FOR THE MBA PROGRAMMES?

According to the Council on Higher Education’s (CHE) evaluation, the three MBA programmes of the UFS clearly and significantly contribute to students’ knowledge and skills, are relevant for the workplace, are appropriately resourced and have an appropriate internal and external programme environment. These programmes are the MBA General, the MBA in Health Care Management and the MBA in Entrepreneurship.

What the Council on Higher Education did find, was a few technical and administrative issues that need to be addressed.

This is why the three MBA programmes of the UFS received conditional accreditation – which in itself is a major achievement for the UFS’s School of Management, which was only four years old at the time of the evaluation.

The following breakdown gives one a sense of the mostly administrative nature of the conditions that have to be met before full accreditation is granted by the CHE:

a. A formal forum of stakeholders: The UFS is required to establish a more structured, inclusive process of review of its MBA programmes. This is an administrative formality already in process.

b. A work allocation model: According to the CHE this is required to regulate the workload of the teaching staff, particularly as student numbers grow, rather than via standard management processes as currently done.

c. Contractual agreements with part-time staff: The UFS is required to enter into formal agreements with part-time and contractual staff as all agreements are currently done on an informal and claim-basis. This is an administrative formality already in process.

d. A formal curriculum committee: According to the CHE, the School of Management had realised the need for a structure – other than the current Faculty Board - where all MBA lecturers can deliberate on the MBA programmes, and serve as a channel for faculty input, consultation and decision-making.

e. A system of external moderators: This need was already identified by the UFS and the system is to be implemented as early as July 2004.

f. A compulsory research component: The UFS is required to introduce a research component which will include the development of research skills for the business environment. The UFS management identified this need and has approved such a component - it is to take effect from January 2005. This is an insufficient element lacking in virtually all MBA programmes in South Africa.

g. Support programmes for learners having problems with numeracy: The UFS identified this as a need for academic support among some learners and has already developed such a programme which will be implemented from January 2005.

The majority of these conditions have been satisfied already and few remaining steps will take effect soon. It is for this reason that the UFS is confident that its three MBA programmes will soon receive full accreditation.

2. WHAT ACCREDITATION DOES THE UFS HAVE FOR ITS MBA PROGRAMME?

The UFS’s School of Management received conditional accreditation for its three MBA programmes.

Two levels of accreditation are awarded to tertiary institutions for their MBA programmes, namely full accreditation and conditional accreditation. When a programme does not comply with the minimum requirements regarding a small number of criteria, conditional accreditation is given. This can be rectified during the short or medium term.

3. IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ACADEMIC CORE OF THE UFS’s MBA PROGRAMMES?

No. The UFS is proud of its three MBA programmes’ reputation in the market and the positive feedback it receives from graduandi and their employers.

The MBA programmes of the UFS meet most of the minimum requirements of the evaluation process.

In particular, the key element of ‘teaching and learning’, which relates to the curriculum and content of the MBA programmes, is beyond question. In other words, the core of what is being taught in our MBA programmes is sound.

4. IS THE UFS’s MBA A WORTHWHILE QUALIFICATION?

Yes. Earlier this year, the School of Management – young as it is - was rated by employers as the best smaller business school in South Africa. This was based on a survey conducted by the Professional Management Review and reported in the Sunday Times Business Times, of 25 January 2004.

The UFS is committed to maintaining these high standards of quality, not only through compliance with the requirements of the CHE, but also through implementing its own quality assurance measures.

Another way in which we benchmark the quality of our MBA programmes is through the partnerships we have formed with institutions such as the DePaul University in Chicago and Kansas State University, both in the US, as well as the Robert Schuman University in France.

For this reason the UFS appreciates and supports the work of the CHE and welcomes its specific findings regarding the three MBA programmes.

It is understandable that the MBA review has caused some nervousness – not least among current MBA students throughout the country.

However, one principle that the UFS management is committed to is this: preparing all our students for a world of challenge and change. Without any doubt the MBA programme of the UFS is a solid preparation.

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