Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
31 March 2021
|
Story Xolisa Mnukwa
The University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus conducted its first digital Campus Student Representative Council (CSCR) elections for the 2020/2021 SRC term. Elections for the 12 ex officio portfolios were conducted from 1 to 4 December 2020, while the elections for the 7 elective portfolios were conducted from 23 to 26 March 2021.
Of the 22 941
eligible voters for the elective portfolios, 8 044 cast their votes, which accounts for 35% of the voter’s roll. The 2021 voter turnout is an increase of 9,53% compared to the 2019 elections that were conducted manually. The CSRC incumbents mentioned below were officially inaugurated on 29 March 2021 and an official handover of the outgoing to the incoming incumbents was facilitated by the Student Governance Office.
The results below depict the final outcome of the CSRC elective portfolios. Elections were concluded at 21:00 on 26 March 2021. Watch video for the official inauguration.
Position | Candidate | Votes |
PRESIDENT | Jerry Thoka | 5 747 (74,6%) |
Kamohelo Seleke | 1 960 (25.4%) |
DEPUTY PRESIDENT | Loretta Mosito | 5 563 (72,4%) |
Esona Yapi | 2 116 (27,6%) |
SECRETARY | Ayanda Dlova | 5 988 (78,3%) |
Simphiwe Zonke | 1 660 (21,7%) |
TREASURER | Orefile Sefika | 5 425 (70,7%) |
Thandiwe Kula | 2 246 (29,3%) |
POLICY AND TRANSFORMATION | Vusumzi Gqalane | 4 988 (63,8%) |
Thabo Duma | 1 649 (21,1%) |
Nompumelelo Khoza | 1 178 (15,1%) |
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS | Tshiamo Sebolai | 4 681 (60,4%) |
Fhumulani Sididzha | 1 707 (22,0%) |
Ofentse Ntsane | 1 365 (17,6%) |
COMMUTER STUDENTS | Dimpho Mokhoantle | 4 469 (58,1%) |
Marumo Rakwata | 1 643 (21,4%) |
Lusanda Feleza | 1 582 (20,6%) |
The results below depict the outcome of the ex officio elections that took place from 1 to 4 December 2020:
Position | Candidate |
---|
ASSOCIATIONS STUDENT COUNCIL | Michael Mnguni |
STUDENT ORGANISATIONS COUNCIL | Tebogo Sako |
ACADEMIC STUDENT COUNCIL | Katlego Booysen |
DAY RESIDENCE COUNCIL | Sibongiseni Mncela |
CAMPUS RESIDENCE COUNCIL | Mpho Maubane |
POSTGRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL | Nico Janse van Rensburg |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT COUNCIL | Rufaro Chakanyuka |
STUDENT MEDIA AND DIALOGUE COUNCIL | Wandile Manqele |
UNIVERSAL ACCESS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNCIL | Katlego Sekele |
CIVIC AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COUNCIL | Gert Terblanche |
ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL | Katleho Khaola |
SPORTS COUNCIL | Bongumusa Khumalo |
Expansion to Physics building officially opened on Bloemfontein Campus
2016-05-06
The newly-opened addition to the Physics Building on the Bloemfontein Campus. Photo: Charl Devenish
|
An extension to the Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) was officially opened on the Bloemfontein Campus on 20 April 2016.
“This started off about five years ago when we were talking about not having enough room for large classes. Prof Matie Hoffman suggested that we build a large lecture room on our parking space,” said Prof Hendrik Swart, Professor in the Department of Physics as he addressed guests at the official opening ceremony.
“A year later, we received a Sarchi Research Chair [South African Research Chairs Initiative] on Advanced and Luminescent Materials. We needed more office and laboratory space. The two ideas were combined and presented to the university’s senior management,” he added.
When the university was founded in 1904, Prof James Lyle was appointed to head up the Physics and Chemistry departments. Five years later, a single room was allocated for the Physics laboratory in the main building upon its completion. In 1947, the old Physics building was designed and constructed. Fast forward 69 years, the department has reached another milestone. Facilities accommodated by the expansion include a new telescope for astrophysics experiments, a basement for storing old equipment, as well as a sliding trap door which allows heavy goods to be elevated into the building from the ground floor. The telescope is one of the many unique features of the building given its capacity to expose graduate students to the basic techniques of radio astronomy, especially in light of the fact that the SKA (Square Kilometre Array) project which is in progress.
“Our department is extremely strong at this stage, and a bright future lies ahead,” said Prof Koos Terblans, the Head of Department. The opening also served to celebrate the 103 publications achieved by the department last year.
Dr Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic is proud of the heights reached by the department to date. “The Department of Physics is undoubtedly one of the jewels in the crown of our university, and we are very proud of its developments. Universities are built on legacies, and they are also about change, which is what this department has been demonstrating.”
The expansions to the building with its top-class facilities, was constructed at a cost of R25 million – an infrastructure grant courtesy of the Department of Higher Education and Training.