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UFS and stakeholders bringing COVID-19 vaccination closer to communities

28 June 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Lunga Luthuli

South Campus vaccination centre copy — South Campus: Social Responsibility Project team with Free State Department of Health nurses during the lunch of the campus’ COVID-19 pop-up vaccination site.

On Monday 27 September 2021, the University of the Free State, Provincial Department of Health and Department of Education launched a pop-up vaccination site at the South Campus bringing much-needed services closer to communities in the fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thandeka Mosholi, Head of Social Responsibility, Enterprise and Community Engagement, South Campus says, “We are next to the Mangaung community and bringing these services we encourage not only UFS staff and students but the surrounding communities to vaccinate for COVID-19. The institution and stakeholders are saying it is everyone’s responsibility for their health.”

She says, “If vaccination is recommended and we are told that it is safe, we encourage everyone including the youth to preserve our health and vaccinate.”

Representing the Department of Health, Papi Mokhele, Professional Pharmacist, says, “The initiative is aimed at reaching out to as many people to be vaccinated.”

He says, “At the moment the facility administers only the Pfizer vaccination and, as recommended by the National Government, we want to reach herd immunity – about 70% of the population – so that businesses, sporting facilities and many others can open and get our life back to normal.”

Other facilities the Department of Health has recently opened include the SABC Hoffman Square, Majakathata Taxi Rank, MUCCPP Health Centre in Phelindaba, Puma Garage in Bergman and Mangaung Outdoor Centre.

On partnering with the UFS, Mokhele says, “The COVID-19 vaccines have been put through clinical processes and quality assurance tests. They have also been approved by the South African Medicine Control Council and we call on the UFS community, especially students, to register and vaccinate.”

Coretha van den Heever, Teacher Trainer in the Social Responsibility Project, was recently vaccinated for the pandemic and says, “Let us protect ourselves and other people and not be the spreaders of the virus.”

She says, “People must make use of the facility; the UFS and government have brought the solution closer so that communities will not have to spend a lot of money travelling to get help.”

The vaccination centre will operate from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:00.

News Archive

UFS releases draft charter to accelerate transformation

2007-02-02

The University of the Free State (UFS) today released a draft Institutional Charter which is intended to enhance and accelerate the ongoing transformation of the institution towards a non-racial, non-sexist future.

Speaking at the official opening of the university today, the Rector and Vice-chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, said the draft Institutional Charter, was an important milestone in the transformation debate for the university and the country.

“The draft charter acknowledges that black people, women and people with disabilities have been marginalised from job and developmental opportunities, within the higher education sector and at this university,” Prof Fourie said.

The charter commits the university to meeting the challenges of a transforming higher education institution in a developing society, in particular the challenges of nation-building, reconciliation, redress, non-racialism and non-sexism – and ultimately normalisation – within a high-quality academic institution.

The principles of the draft charter firmly signal the university’s commitment to diversity – attaining and maintaining substantive and sufficient diversity (including multiculturalism and multilingualism) – in its quest for quality and excellence.
Prof Fourie said the draft charter seeks to build consensus among staff and students at the UFS about the ultimate goals of transformation at a higher education institution.

The charter proposes several basic values and principles that should guide the transformation process and at the same time serve as a basis for a future, normalised university - a promised land to transform towards.

The discussion document says academic quality is intrinsically linked to transformation and it commits the university to strengthening the core competencies of research, teaching and learning as well as community service so as to ensure a robust university for future generations.

“Indeed the thousands of matriculants, black and white, who apply to study at the UFS want to study at a good university, and a good university wants to attract the best black and white students and the best black and white staff, male and female,“ Prof Fourie said.

He said the draft charter also seeks to safeguard academic freedom and institutional autonomy as the foundation of critical inquiry and scholarship.

Regarding the critical issue of creating a new institutional culture, the draft charter commits the UFS to creating a sense of belonging for all members of the university – black and white, male and female, of whatever language, religious, cultural or economic background, as well as people with disabilities.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@mail.uovs.ac.za
02 February 2007

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