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11 February 2022 | Story Lacea Loader

 

The University of the Free State (UFS) takes note that the application by Free State for Choice (FS4C) for an interim interdict against the university’s COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy was struck off the roll in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein today, due to FS4C’s inability to prove that the application should be heard as an urgent matter.

 
Although the university management respects the outcome and decision of the court, the UFS was never of the view that the implementation of the policy should be set aside.
 
The university confirms the stipulations in the policy, that – as from 14 February 2022 – staff, students, and visitors will either be required to be vaccinated, to upload a negative SARS (COVID-19) PCR test (not older than a week) on its campus access system if they are not vaccinated, or to have an approved deferral or an approved exemption, in order to access campus.
 

The university management remains of the view that the implementation of the policy is consistent with its prerogative and obligation to maintain a safe working and learning environment for its staff, students, and visitors.

COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy 


Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 3422
Email: news@ufs.ac.za

News Archive

UFS Rector takes three months sabbatical leave
2008-05-05

The Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof. Frederick Fourie, has announced that he will be taking three months sabbatical leave as from Thursday, 8 May 2008.

Prof. Fourie recently made the request for sabbatical leave to the Chairperson of the UFS Council, Judge Faan Hancke. The request was approved given the fact that Prof. Fourie has occupied a number of demanding top-management posts for almost nine years, during which time he had to manage a number of major changes at the UFS.

According to Prof. Fourie, he originally wanted to go on sabbatical leave in the second half of 2007 before the start of his second term as rector, but it was not possible at that stage.

He was last on sabbatical in 1996 before he became Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in 1997 and Vice-Rector: Academic Operations in 1999.

He could not take his next five-yearly leave because in the post of vice-rector he was tasked with leading the financial-turnaround strategy for the UFS from the year 2000 and had to act as rector when the previous rector, Prof. Stef Coetzee, was on sick leave. Since being inaugurated as rector in 2003, there was also no opportunity to take leave as a result of the many key projects and urgent initiatives.

The Vice-Rector: Academic Operations and vice-chairperson of the Senate, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, will be the acting rector. Management processes and decision-making will continue as normal under the leadership of the acting rector together with the Executive Committee of the Executive Management (Exco) and the Executive Management. This applies to the decision about the future of the Reitz Residence as well as the continuing implementation of the policy on diversity in student residences.

According to Judge Hancke it was important that Prof. Fourie took sabbatical leave in the light of the long period he has been at the forefront of very demanding changes. There are many challenges that still lie ahead.

During his leave Prof. Fourie will be involved with the Higher Education South Africa (HESA) investigation into diversity and racism on campuses, with research and a national conference on institutional culture, as well as the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) benchmarking project and its conference in Australia at the end of August 2008.

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