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15 July 2022 | Story Lacea Loader

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the lifting of the institution’s COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy with immediate effect.

“Since the declaration by the Government on 22 June 2022 that the COVID-19 regulations will be repealed, the UFS has conducted a risk assessment to determine the risk of exposure to staff and students. From the assessment, it was clear that the university’s COVID-19 infections are currently a low risk,” said Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Factors that contributed to this low risk include the following:

  • No COVID-19 positive cases among UFS staff and students have been reported in the past month.
  • The high number of vaccinations among UFS stakeholders. In addition, the current national immunity level of the total South African population is high.
  • Certain faculties and postgraduate students are currently proceeding with hybrid/online learning, which minimises the risk of possible COVID-19 infections on the university’s three campuses.
  • In its correspondence of 23 June 2022, the UFS urged all staff and students to continue wearing masks should they have comorbidities and/or symptoms of illness, thus safeguarding other stakeholders.

“We believe that COVID-19 no longer poses an immediate threat to the safety of our staff and students, and that the pandemic is at a stage where they should take responsibility for their own safety. This can be mainly ascribed to the success of the implementation of the policy. Staff and students who still wish to wear masks are urged to do so at their own discretion. Those who have not yet been vaccinated against the virus and have no

known condition preventing them from doing so, are advised to get vaccinated for their own safety and protection,” said Prof Petersen.

The UFS COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy was approved by the University Council on 26 November 2021 and implemented on 6 December 2021. The university commenced restricting unvaccinated individuals from accessing its campuses as of 14 February 2022.

“If the national regulatory environment with respect to COVID-19 is changing to such an extent that the policy needs to be re-implemented, the university’s executive management will act accordingly, and hence the COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy remains a policy of the university as approved by the UFS Council on 26 November 2021.” said Prof Petersen.

 

Uplifting of the COVID-19 vaccination policy - mitigation strategies of the University of the Free State.

News Archive

Registration process not affected by power shedding
2008-01-24

The power shedding that has been affecting the country over the last few weeks has no effect on the University of the Free State’s (UFS) registration process and it is continuing as normal.

The Callie Human Centre in Bloemfontein, where the registration process of the Main Campus is taking place, is supplied with emergency power. Although power shedding is taking place on the rest of the campus, the centre is not affected by this. The registration process has been running smoothly so far.

“It appears that students are under the impression that the registration process is also affected by the power shedding and, as a result, they are turning up in smaller numbers than usual to register. This can cause problems for us later on because the registration process is divided into different categories of students and it takes place according to a predetermined programme,” said Mr Vernon Collett, Registrar of Academic Student Services at the UFS.

“If students do not keep to the registration programme it can create unnecessary delays in the registration process. I want to encourage students to keep to the predetermined registration dates that are applicable to them as the academic year will commence soon,” said Mr Collett.

Senior undergraduate students (that is students entering their second or later year of study) started registering on Monday, 21 January 2008. Students who applied for admission to the Main Campus after 30 November 2007 and were accepted, must register from 4 February 2008 according to a process applicable to them. Lectures will start on 4 February 2008 and the registration process will end on 8 February 2008. Registered modules can be amended from 4-8 February 2008.

Detailed information on the dates and times of registration for the various faculties and academic learning programmes is available on the UFS website at www.ufs.ac.za.

 

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

24 January 2008
 

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