Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
25 June 2021 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Supplied
UFS Food Environment Office - Improving student well-being through collaborative food provisioning initiatives.

Food insecurity plagues students across universities worldwide, and the University of the Free State (UFS) is not exempt from this plight, with research findings indicating that more than 64% of students at the university go through periods of hunger each year.

In conjunction with national Youth Month this year, the UFS reflects on the initiatives established by the university to address food insecurity across the Bloemfontein, South, and Qwaqwa campuses to help care for and support young people for the duration of their academic careers.

UFS Food Environment Office 

Annelize Visagie from the Division of Student Affairs (DSA), who is heading the Food Environment Office at the UFS, stated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with Tiger Brands and Gift of the Givers last year to sponsor food parcels to students who do not have bursaries every month. Visagie further explained that UFS staff members are working hard to implement initiatives and obtain sponsorships – such as the one with Tiger Brands and Gift of the Givers – as well as food donations to ensure that students do not go hungry.

In a study that Visagie conducted in 2019 with first-year students as the focus, it was found that academic performance declines and coping mechanisms increase as the severity of food insecurity increases.

“Students use different coping mechanisms, with an alarming 40,6% of them resorting to fasting as an excuse to friends for not having food. Sixty percent of them skip meals because they do not have enough money, and 43,2% of them are too embarrassed to ask for help,” explained Visagie. 

 Various factors contribute to this scenario, with the main reason being that most students come from impoverished economic and social circumstances. This suggests that although students may receive NSFAS funding or any other bursary, it is not a guarantee that they are food secure.

UFS Food Insecurity Support initiatives

There are many students who lack adequate financial support to sustain them through their academic careers at university. 

The UFS No Student Hungry (NSH) Programme under the UFS Division of Student Affairs (DSA) provides students in need with modest food allowances and daily access to one balanced meal. Students are selected in terms of financial need, participation in student life, and a commitment to giving back to the community. The programme allows students to focus on their studies without worrying about their next meal – increasing their chances to excel academically and ultimately obtain their degrees. 

According to Dr WP Wahl, Head of Student Life in the DSA, the division encourages innovation to meet the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition among students. Several student volunteers and student governance structures are collaborating with the DSA on various initiatives. 

Students from residences and other student communities have planted vegetable gardens on the Bloemfontein Campus with the assistance of KovsieACT and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, where students and staff continuously harvest and distribute vegetables to needy students on a weekly basis.  The construction of these gardens was financed by a collaboration with Tiger Brands and Siyakhana Food Gardens, who have assisted with the training of students and consultation throughout the project.

The continuation of the food parcel project and other support initiatives facilitated by the Food Environment Office thrive through collaborations with businesses, NPOs, UFS students, and DSA staff to address food insecurity and malnutrition among students. Staff and students are encouraged to contribute by also collecting non-perishable food items for the UFS Food Environment Office.

To apply for support, or to contribute, contact the Food Environment Office or Annelize Visagie

News Archive

Council on Higher Education LLB qualification review not yet complete
2017-05-16

The reaction from various stakeholders following the ‘Outcomes of the National Review of the LLB Qualification’ by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) on 12 April 2017 requires the CHE to clarify that the national review process has not been completed and is ongoing.

The peer-review process conducted under the auspices of the CHE is based on the LLB Standards Document which was developed in 2014-2015 with input from higher-education institutions and the organised legal profession. Following self-review and site visits by peers, the process is now at the point where commendations and shortcomings have been identified, and the statement of 12 April reflects those findings. All law faculties and schools have been asked to improve their LLB programmes to meet the LLB Standard, and no LLB programme has been de-accredited. All institutions retain the accreditation they had before the Review process began and all institutions are working towards retaining their accreditation and improving their LLB programmes.

The South African Law Deans’ Association (SALDA) has issued a set of responses regarding the LLB programme review. The following questions and answers were published to give more clarity on the questions raised.

1.    What is the effect of a finding of conditional accreditation?
The programme remains accredited.

(“Accreditation refers to a recognition status granted to a programme for a stipulated period of time after an HEQC evaluation indicates that it meets minimum standards of quality.”)

The institution must submit a progress report by 6 October 2017 that indicates how short-term aspects raised in the HEQC reports have been addressed and an improvement plan to indicate how longer-term aspects will be addressed.

2.    What is the effect of a finding of notice of withdrawal of accreditation?
The programme remains accredited.

The institution must submit an improvement plan by 6 October 2017 to indicate how the issues raised in the HEQC report will be addressed, including time frames.

3.    How does the finding of notice of withdrawal affect current students?
Students currently enrolled for the LLB programme at any institution are not affected at all. They will graduate with an accredited qualification.

4.    How does the finding of notice of withdrawal affect new applicants?
The programmes remain accredited and institutions may enrol new students as usual. This also includes students completing BA/BCom (Law) programmes who wish to continue with the LLB programme.

5.    How does the finding of notice of withdrawal affect prior graduates?
Degrees previously conferred are not affected.

6.    What happens when the improvement plans are submitted in October 2017?
The CHE will evaluate the plans when they are submitted, and the programmes remain accredited until a decision is taken whether the improvement plan is sufficient and has been fully given effect to or not. The institutions will have to submit progress reports to the CHE indicating implementation of measures contained in the improvement plan.

Should a decision at some stage be taken that a programme’s accreditation must be withdrawn, a teaching-out plan would be implemented so that all enrolled students would have the opportunity to graduate with an accredited degree.

For more information on the CHE’s pronouncement please contact Moleboheng Moshe-Bereng on MosheBerengMF@ufs.ac.za.

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