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UFS implements interventions to increase diversity of researchers

03 January 2022 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied

Seven supported academics from the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) on the Qwaqwa Campus saw an increase in their H-indices (Google Scholar) during 2020.

Over the past few years, the university has implemented special interventions to increase the diversity of UFS researchers, including targeted appointments and focused research capacity development and support. Strategic interventions relating to National Research Foundation (NRF) rating resulted in the UFS having a well-established cohort of rated researchers.

According to the recent internal research report, the UFS has 144 researchers in the A, B and C categories (established according to NRF criteria), and 57 researchers under the age of 40 who are considered emerging researchers in the P and Y categories. This brings the total to 201 rated researchers in 2021, compared to 188 in 2020, and 164 in 2019. The university also has 57 Y-rated researchers.

Furthermore, the university submitted 51 applications to the NRF under the 2020 rating call, including 21 first-time applications (of which four were unsuccessful) and 26 who were invited to reapply to keep their ratings active (of which all were successful).

Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research and Internationalisation, says the UFS has been able to appoint outstanding young researchers over the past eight years. “Not only did these exceptional individuals contribute to our scholarship and research productivity, but they also increased our diversity. The increase in the diversity of our NRF-rated academics is an aspect of the research portfolio that I am most proud of,” says Prof Witthuhn.

Highlighted trends regarding NRF-rated researchers

• There has been a constant growth in the number of rated researchers, from 127 in 2016 to 202 in 2021.
• The majority of NRF-rated researchers (186 in 2021) are from the Bloemfontein Campus. The number of rated researchers from the Qwaqwa Campus increased from 4 in 2016 to 13 in 2021. The South Campus increased its number of rated researchers by two in 2021, with a current total of three rated researchers.
• The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences has the highest percentage of rated researchers (45%) in 2021, followed by the Faculty of the Humanities (29%).
• The percentage of rated white researchers declined from 92% in 2016 to 78% in 2021, and the rated black researchers increased from 6% in 2016 to 17% in 2021.
• The percentage of rated female researchers increased from 27% in 2016 to 34% in 2021.
• Rated researchers in the C2 and C3 rating categories declined slightly, from 52% in 2019 to 47% in 2021. There is still positive growth in the number of young (Y1/Y2) rated researchers – from 14% in 2016 to 27% in 2021.

Ratings and promotions

The university hosts a total of six South African Research Chairs (SARChI) funded by the NRF / Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), of which four are held by women. Three chairs are appointed in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the Faculty of Education, while the faculties of Economic and Management Sciences and Health Sciences appointed one chair each. Two research chairs have been renewed for 2021-2025.

Seven supported academics from the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) on the Qwaqwa Campus saw an increase in their H-indices (Google Scholar) during 2020, while one new Y1 NRF rating was awarded and another was increased to C2 level. Two ARU-supported academics achieved professorial status in the same year.

Twenty-five young academics on the cusp of NRF rating and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor are participating in the Future Professoriate Mentoring Programme, while the 25 participants of the ESAP group have completed their doctorates over the past three years and are working towards obtaining a Y-rating. As a result of the outstanding progress of the first cohort of the mentoring programme during 2020, a second cohort of ESAP scholars was selected in March 2021. More than 80% of the 75 group members are younger than 40 years.

Drs Frans Kruger and Lodewyk Sutton also received NRF Y-ratings in November 2020. The ESAP programme currently has three recipients of the FirstRand NRF Black African Advancement Fellowship Programme: Dr Eugene Baron (Practical Theology), Dr Mirriam Moleko (School of Mathematics and Science Education), and Dr Neo Pule (Psychology). Dr Lizemari Hugo from the School of Nursing also received a FAIMER (Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research) fellowship. Dr Mikateko Höppener (Centre for Development Support) has been selected to participate in the national DHET Future Professoriate Programme.

Publication output units show significant increase

The publication output units (books, conference proceedings, and journal articles) by UFS researchers, as measured and reported to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), show consistent growth from 2016 to 2020. The output units increased significantly in 2019 and 2020 after a slight decrease in 2017.

There has also been a notable increase in books/chapters since 2018. Journal articles also showed constant growth from 2017 onwards, especially from 2019 to 2020, with a 20% growth in journal outputs visible; however, conference proceedings declined last year.

Main contributors

The faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Humanities, and Theology and Religion remain the main contributors to the university’s publication output. Four faculties (Economic and Management Sciences, Education, Health Sciences, and Theology and Religion) increased their share of units in 2020 compared to the 2016-2019 period.

The journal output units generated from scholarly articles published in internationally indexed journals remained more than 80% (82% in 2017, 85% in 2018, 81% in 2019, and 85% in 2020). Only 15% of journal articles were published in South African indexed (DHET) journals (compared to 24% in 2016). Since 2016, there has been a clear shift towards publications in internationally indexed journals.

The following nine in-house journals are being administered by the UFS:

Acta Academica (editor: Henning Melber), Acta Structilia (editor: K Kajimo-Shakantu), Acta Theologica (editor: Jan-Albert van den Berg), Communitas (editor: Willemien Marais), Journal for Juridical Science (editor: Bradley Smith), Journal for Translation Studies in Africa (editor: Kobus Marais), Perspectives in Education (editor: Jan Nieuwenhuis), Southern Journal for Contemporary History (editor: Neil Roos), and Town and Regional Planning (editor: Maléne Campbell).

All are DHET-accredited, except for the Journal for Translation Studies in Africa, a new KovsieJournals title.

News Archive

Parking at UFS for visitors

2007-11-10

UFS creates more parking for visitors

In its effort to make it easier for visitors to park on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein, two paid parking areas will be put into operation as from Monday, 5 November 2007.

These parking areas are part of a comprehensive new parking strategy of the UFS, which is being implemented since September 2007. As part of the strategy, areas of the central campus have been reserved for staff and visitors and hundreds of new parking areas were developed for students at the entrance in Wynand Mouton Avenue (at the Faculty of Health Sciences) and the entrance in DF Malherbe Avenue (at the Agriculture Building).

“The paid parking areas for visitors, which are as close as possible to the busy and largely closed-off central campus, were created as an additional service to visitors,” said Ms Edma Pelzer, Director of Physical Resources at the UFS.

According to Ms Pelzer, persons who attend meetings, seminars or short courses, visiting colleagues, consultants, service providers, family of students and staff members, clients, etc. can make use of this parking.

“We have found that it is often difficult for visitors to obtain parking in or close to the central campus. Now they will have a choice to either park in the visitors parking areas at a minimal fee or to park in any of the open unreserved parking areas on campus,” said Ms Pelzer.

The areas, which will be closed off behind booms on weekdays from 06:00 until 18:00, are situated to the eastern side of the “Red Square”, east of the CR Swart and Idalia Loots Buildings and west of Campus Avenue North between the Psychology and the Flippie Groenewoud Buildings.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
2 November 2007

Parking for visitors: Important notice:

As from Monday 5 November 2007 two paid parking areas on the UFS Campus will be put into operation. The areas will be closed off behind booms on weekdays from 06:00 until 18:00. These will be manned and R3 per hour will be charged.

The following areas are involved:

P3: The area to the east of the “Red Square”, east of the CR Swart and Idalia Loots Buildings.
P6: The area to the east of Campus Avenue North between the Psychology and Flippie Groenewoud Buildings.

The friendly co-operation of users of motor vehicles on campus is requested to allow this implementation to proceed as smoothly as possible.

Parking for visitors: More information

The strategy to create paid parking areas for visitors

The decision to reserve areas in the central campus areas for the convenience of visitors was taken as part of the comprehensive new parking strategy of the UFS approved by the Executive Management in May 2007 and which is being implemented since September.

All visitors need not park in these areas. Visitors may park for free on any open (unreserved) parking bay on campus. These paid parking areas for visitors, as close as possible to the busy and largely closed-off central campus, have been created as an additional service to visitors.

The strategy to close off parts of the central campus for staff members and visitors was implemented after sufficient alternative parking areas had been developed for students.

What is meant by the term “visitors”?

It includes all persons who are not students of staff members of the UFS and who visit the campus for one reason or another. Persons who attend meetings, seminars or short courses, visiting colleagues, consultants, service providers, family of students and staff members, et cetera are included.

As at present, it will, of course, be possible to make special arrangements with Protection Services to make it possible for VIP visitors to park as near as possible to their destinations.

No student or staff member will be actively prevented from parking in the area. They will, however, be discouraged by the fact that R3 per hour will be charged without exception.

The visitors’ parking area and access to it

P3: The area to the east of the “Red Square”, east of the CR Swart and Idalia Loots Buildings. The area is within easy walking distance for visitors to, among others, the following buildings: George du Toit Administration Building, Theology Building, Idalia Loots Building, CR Swart Building, Johannes Brill Building, Van der Merwe Scholz Hall.

The area is conveniently accessible from the following entrances: Nelson Mandela Drive, Groenewoud Street and Wynand Mouton Drive.
P6: The area to the west of Campus Avenue North, between the Psychology and Flippie Groenewoud Buildings. The area is within easy walking distance for visitors to all the academic buildings in the central campus, such as the Chemistry Building, Stef Coetzee Building, the Geography Building, et cetera and located directly opposite the general information point on the Thakaneng Bridge.

The area is conveniently accessible from the following entrances: Fürstenburg Road and DF Malherbe Avenue (at the Agriculture Building).

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