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17 February 2022 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Sonia Small (Kaleidoscope Studios)
Dr Engela van Staden
Dr Engela van Staden, Vice Rector: Academic

The University of the Free State (UFS) has finalised the first part of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) Institutional Audit (IA), submitting its Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (SER) and Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) to the higher education quality assurance body. 

According to Dr Engela van Staden, Vice-Rector: Academic, the second part of the institutional audit will involve the participation of relevant stakeholders in a site visit to the institution. During the visit, scheduled between 9 and 13 May 2022, an external panel of experts will systematically assess the submitted SER and requisite documents by asking inquisitive questions to interviewees who will be participating in this process.  

“The focus will be on the quality of programme offerings with a view to improving student success in all spheres of the student walk – from registration to graduation. To this end, the university’s Integrated Quality Management Framework (IQMF) will be assessed in order to provide evidence that quality assurance is ingrained in the core functions of the UFS, i.e., student success; quality of teaching and research; and engaged scholarship.”

Dr Van Staden says by re-introducing the SER, the university will embark on a stakeholder engagement plan, engaging with staff in faculties, service units, directorates, centres, departments, or schools, to keep them informed and prepared for a productive contribution to the Institutional Audit process. 

- The CHE is an independent statutory body established in terms of the provisions of the Higher Education Act No. 101 of 1997, as amended. It advises the Minister responsible for Higher Education and Training and is the national authority for quality assurance and promotion in higher education.

News Archive

UFS receives a grant of R3 million from the Rockefeller Foundation, USA
2011-01-24

The University of the Free State (UFS) has recently been awarded a grant of R3 million from the Rockefeller Foundation in the USA to engage development evaluation leaders to provide practical assistance to the foundation to better articulate, monitor, evaluate and report on their results and strategies in order to achieve impact.

The grant was secured by the university's Research Development Directorate. It is the first time in 15 years that the Rockefeller Foundation makes a grant to the UFS.
 
The New York-based Rockefeller Foundation focuses on basic survival safeguards, transforming health systems, climate change and environment, urbanisation, and social and economic security in Africa and Asia.
 
Dr Zenda Ofir (Evalnet), an internationally renowned evaluation specialist and affiliated Senior Research Fellow at the UFS, is the project leader. Proffs Frans Swanepoel and Aldo Stroebel from the university will work closely with Dr Ofir and other Rockefeller initiative teams, key grantees and partners, mainly on issues of strengthening food security in Africa.

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