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16 March 2021
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All academic activities have been suspended on all UFS campuses from 17 to 22 March 2021. No online/face-to-face lectures/tests/assignments will take place until 23 March 2021, and the full academic programme will resume on this date.
This decision will allow the university management an opportunity to address outstanding matters regarding the admission of senior undergraduate students.
Administrative activities will continue during this time and the campuses are not closed. The university management is aware that sporadic disruptions of activities by small groups are still taking place on the Bloemfontein Campus.
Protection Services, with the assistance of private security, remains on high alert and is closely monitoring the situation on the campuses. The necessary safety and security plan, as well as contingency plans, are in place.
Please monitor the university’s communication platforms for updates on any developments.
It is important to ensure that your cellphone number is updated in order to receive communication via the KovsieApp and SMS.
Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393
‘We need a story that will excite us all’
2012-03-09
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Attending the conversation were, from the left: Willemien Marais, Lecturer in the Department of Communication Science; Zubeida Jaffer; and Prof. Andre Keet, Director of the International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice.
Photo: Amanda Tongha
9 March 2012
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“From the stories of Afrikaner Nationalism and Black Consciousness to the stories of our Constitution and the 1995 Rugby World Cup… But now what do we have?”
This was the question posed by Zubeida Jaffer, recently appointed as the university's Writer-in-Residence. Do we need a new national narrative? was the issue addressed by Ms Jaffer in a talk presented as part of the Critical Conversations series hosted by the university’s International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice. Ms Jaffer is an award-winning journalist and author of, amongst others, Love in a time of treason and Our Generation.
“We can’t change the past and we can’t keep on focusing on separate narratives; we need to find a story, a new national narrative with elements that could excite all of us,” she told an audience consisting of academics and students. She also referred to the changes that took place at the university. “I’m fascinated by what is happening here. It’s mind-boggling to see the changes.” Based on the UFS’ drive to find common ground, Ms Jaffer told the audience that research at universities could and should direct this search for a common South African story.
In reference to her own experiences as a community activist and journalist during apartheid, she urged students to become active citizens. “In my time students were the leaders; they gave direction to the national debate.”
Article (pdf format)