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18 February 2022

The University of the Free State (UFS) has received an overwhelming response from staff and students to upload their COVID-19 vaccination certificates to access campus in the past weeks. This includes unvaccinated staff and students who are uploading their weekly SARS (COVID-19) PCR test results or are applying for deferral or exemption.

This comes after the system and process to grant access to the campuses to vaccinated and unvaccinated staff and students stipulated in the UFS COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy was activated on 14 February 2022.

So far, 99,54% permanent staff members have uploaded their vaccination/PCR certificates. The percentage of students is continuing to rise in anticipation for the beginning of the academic year, which commences on 21 February 2022 in a blended teaching and learning approach, where 67% of modules on offer will be in a face-to-face format.

The university would like to thank all staff and students who are complying with the policy and uploading their vaccination/PCR certificates as they are assisting greatly in the institution’s aim to provide and maintain a working, teaching and learning environment that is safe and without risk to the health of its staff and students.

News Archive

Valuable advice for businesses in difficult times
2013-04-15

 

Prof Helena van Zyl, Director of the Business School, and Dr Reuel Khoza.
Photo: Stephen Collett
15 April 2013


Dr Reuel Khoza, Chairman of the Nedbank Group, shared the group’s valuable rules for managing a bank in difficult times in an MBA lecture on the Bloemfontein Campus. Dr Khoza is a visiting professor at the UFS Business School.

He focused in the lecture on the group’s business and leadership model and highlighted some do’s and don’ts:

  • Do not surprise your stakeholders on the downside – communicate transparently, particularly when there is bad news.
  • Retrenching staff to contain costs should be a last resort – the damage to corporate culture from retrenchments is immense. Follow and support your customers – get as close to them as possible because business changes slowly, but customer behaviour can change in an instant.
  • Integrated central capital and funding management.
  • Entrench well-established reporting, KPIs and measurement systems.
  • Ensure strong independent risk management.
  • Manage your cost base – anticipate downturns and re-base your costs to avoid crisis-cost management.
  • Take advantage of opportunities – an economic downturn creates a situation where valuations fall and assets are sold off, which can be a great opportunity for acquisitions.
  • Keep innovating – innovation does not have to be a costly exercise, as the right culture can promote and encourage experimentation and collaboration.
  • Whatever you do – avoid a price war, as expedient pricing decisions may hurt the business in the longer term.

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