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UFS infrastructure recognised at SAIA Regional Awards

12 November 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Andre Ferreira

UFS Council Chambe — The refurbished Council Chambers of the University of the Free State was recognised with a South African Institute of Architects Free State Regional Award for Architectural Projects.

Winning three South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) Free State Regional Awards is the embodiment of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) commitment to continually improve infrastructure and create accessible spaces.

Two of the UFS projects – the Council Chambers and the Modular Lecture Space and Assessment Centre – emerged victorious in the category for Architectural Projects, while Prof Jonathan Noble, Head of the Department of Architecture, won an award in Category B – Work of Social Importance – for his book, The Architecture of Peter Rich: Conversations with Africa.

SAIA members were invited to submit Free State- and Northern Cape-based projects, completed between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2021, for regional adjudication by a panel of judges consisting of professional architects Jeremie Malan, Diaan van der Westhuizen, and Velka Laubscher.

Each participating project were visited on 29 and 30 September 2021; the panel was ‘delighted with the quality of workmanship’.

Velka Laubscher, President of the South African Institute of Architects in the Free State, says: “The Regional Awards Programme is held biennially, and each visited project was adjudicated and awarded based on merit, looking at design, aesthetics, commodity, and orientation.

“The panel of adjudicators also follows specific guidelines to ensure that the process adheres to SAIA’s standards,” says Laubscher.

Nico Janse van Rensburg, Senior Director: University Estates at the UFS, says, “It is a great honour to receive these accolades, as our buildings are constructed on carefully controlled budgets, but still manage to exhibit a refinement in terms of architectural aesthetics. The recognition also reflects how the institution’s infrastructure performs compared to university buildings in general.”

The Department of Higher Education and Training recently recommended the UFS to other universities in the country to learn from the institution how to undertake infrastructural development while adhering to budget constraints.

The main criteria for projects to receive SAIA recognition not only involve compliance with a functional programme, but should also deal intelligently with contextual informants, creating spaces that offer opportunities for meaningful interaction, and the use of materials and measures that are sympathetic to the environment in general, as well as to our local climate conditions.

“We welcome the recognition by the department, as it gives us an opportunity to also interact and learn from other universities, since there is always room for improvement. The university community can rest assured that the allocated budget is spent to reflect the institution’s objectives and to get value for money,” says Janse van Rensburg.

Anton Roodt, architect and urban planner from GXY Architects and Roodt Architects joint consultants, says: “The value for the University of the Free State lies in the fact that the university is seen, both by its internal and external stakeholders, as an institution that values the contribution that good architecture can add to academic programmes and projecting the image of the university as an enlightened institution.”

Projects awarded with a ‘Regional Award for Architecture 2021’ will now be submitted for national adjudication to become eligible for a SAIA Award of Merit 2022 and a SAIA Award for Excellence 2022.

News Archive

Student leaders 2012/13 announced

2012-08-30

Ready for the task - Sabelo Khumalo, SRC President of the Qwaqwa Campus and William Clayton, SRC President of the Bloemfontein Campus.
Photo: Johan Roux
31 August 2012

The 2012/13 elections for the Student Representative Councils (SRC) of the University of the Free State were completed successfully and show meaningful support for the changes in student governance adopted by students across campuses over the past two years.

The SRC elections at the Qwaqwa Campus were completed on 23 August 2012, while the elections at our Bloemfontein Campus took place on 27 and 28 August 2012.

The SRC Elections at our Bloemfontein Campus showed a voter turnout of 4516 votes (30.8%), with the elections at the Qwaqwa Campuses showing 1753 votes (46%) – both campuses reached the required quorums and the IEA (Bloemfontein Campus) and IEC (Qwaqwa Campus) declared the elections free and fair and announced the results as a true reflection of the will of the student bodies at the campuses.

The full SRC at Bloemfontein Campus now consists of 62% black and 38% white, and 53% female and 47% male members.

In the Qwaqwa elections, SADESMO achieved 46, 38% of the vote, with SASCO, PASMA and NASMO each achieving 30,23% and 8,39% and 14,26%, respectively.

The successful elections at Bloemfontein Campus show that the detailed transformation of student governance introduced by students at the Campus in 2010 and adopted by the university in 2011, succeeded in mobilizing greater participation of students in governance and representation. These changes in the main included a shift to independent candidacy for elective portfolios (12 seats) and organizational candidacy in nine sub-councils that holds ex officio seats on the SRC. Changes also included the establishment of student representative seats in faculty governance and management forums and the adoption of a reviewed Central SRC Constitution. Ex officio seats hold full and equal constitutional authority in the SRC.

Students at Qwaqwa Campus introduced additional portfolios to its SRC, including ex-officio seats for academic affairs, arts and culture, commuter students, Rag Community Service, religious affairs, residences and sports.

A joint sitting of the Campus SRCs will establish the Central SRC 2012/13 on 9 September 2012.

As a further opportunity for participation in and the development of student governance and representation, the current Central SRC herewith also announces its recent adoption of a student governance advisory programme, namely the UFS Student Elders Council (SEC).

The SEC is established as a combined programme between the Central SRC and the Dean of Student Affairs and will consist of selected senior student leaders from all campuses who completed their terms of office, apply and are appointed to the Elders Council by the Central SRC.

The Council will serve as an advisory structure to the Central SRC and other student structures in support of the continuous development of student governance and representation of the student body at the university.

The SEC will advise the Central SRC to be constituted following the constitution of the respective Campus SRCs.

The SRC members at the Bloemfontein Campus are:

President: Mr William Clayton

Vice-President: Mr Bonolo Thebe

Secretary: Ms Karis-Robin Topkin

Treasurer: Mr Pieter Coetzee

Arts & Culture: Ms Chanmari Erasmus

Accessibility & Student Support: Ms Gene McCaskill

First-generation Students: Ms Tanya Calitz

Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Ms Nokuthula Sithole

Media, Marketing & Liaison: Ms Neo Chere

Sport: Mr Tshepo Moloi

Student Development & Environmental Affairs: Ms Thabisile Mgadi

Transformation: Ms Koketso Mofokeng

Dialogue & Ex officio: Associations Council: Mr Anesu Ruswa

Academic Affairs & Ex officio: Academic Affairs Council: Ms Nombuso Ndlovu

Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Residences Council: Mr Johann Steyn

City Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Commuter Council: Mr Michael van Niekerk

Postgraduate Affairs & Ex officio: Postgraduate Council: Mr Fadeyi Akinsuyi

International Affairs & Ex officio: International Council: Ms Tumelo Moreri

Student Media Affairs & Ex officio: Media Council: Mr Jamal-Dean Grootboom

RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Fundraising Council: Mr Jaco Faul

RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Community Service Council: Ms Keneue Mahloana

The SRC members at the Qwaqwa Campus are:

President General: Mr S Khumalo

Deputy President: Mr P T Lenka

Secretary General: Mr D Khethang

Treasurer General: Mr S I Sithole

Media & Publicity: Mr S N Ntombela

Politics & Transformation: Tbc

Student Development & Evironmental Affairs: Tbc Academic Affairs: Mr T Molawude

Arts & Cultural Affairs: Mr T Nkohli

Off-Campus Students: Mr B Mtshali

RAG, Community Service & Dialogue: Ms S F Mlotya

Religious Affairs: Ms D C Khau

Residence & Catering Affairs: Ms Z Mzolo

Sports Council: Mr S Mngomezulu

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