Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Community psychology project empowers staff at Lettie Fouché School

11 November 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Community Psychology students engage with the teaching and support staff at Lettie Fouché School as part of their recent community service-learning project.

Transforming lives through quality, impact, and care – reads the essence of the University of the Free State (UFS). However, this phrase can also be used to describe the work of honours students in the Department of Psychology’s Community Psychology module with the Lettie Fouché School.

The Department of Psychology has a long-standing relationship with the Lettie Fouché School in Bloemfontein through the former therapeutic horse-riding programme with foundation phrase learners at the school. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was put on hold.

Promoting teacher well-being

Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Dr Pravani Naidoo, says that community partners at Lettie Fouché have expressed a desire to continue their partnership with the university. This resulted in students seeking alternative ways to meaningfully interact with the school.

They have embraced podcasts as a form of e-service learning to promote the well-being of teachers and support staff, including hostel caregivers and therapists. The podcasts allowed the students to present their interventions in a practical and easily accessible way.

To determine the needs of the staff, the students engaged in a face-to-face needs assessment process with key stakeholders from the school, including Liana van Heerden, the Head of Occupational Therapy, and Charmaine de Waal, the Social Worker. This was followed by a needs assessment process on Google Forms, where staff answered questions related to their needs. They found that staff is experiencing challenges such as poor communication skills and conflict, which can often result in low levels of productivity and job satisfaction.

The students – informed by what they have learned in class theoretically and based on the needs assessment outcomes as part of their community intervention programme – identified self-compassion, character strengths, effective communication, and self-regulation towards conflict management as topics to address via their podcasts. These strategies are aimed at equipping and empowering the group of teachers to uphold good mental health and a healthy working environment.

The students prepared podcast transcripts, which were recorded in the new KovsieFM recording studio by Gerben van Niekerk from Kovsie Support Services. The podcasts were shared with the Lettie Fouché staff group via email. After receiving a request, they also made the recordings more widely available to occupational therapists and social workers at other schools in the Free State. The Lettie Fouché staff felt that the podcasts were of such high quality and relevance that it should be shared with their colleagues.

This initiative had the support of the school principal, Alexander Jordaan.

Via Google Forms and informal focus groups, the staff group provided their feedback on the podcasts to students. The focus groups, where Jordaan indicated his and the school’s support for the partnership, were arranged by the school.

During these sessions, the students were commended for producing professionally recorded podcasts, which were not too long and were easy to listen to. The staff also indicated that they had started practising many of the tools that the students shared with them to promote their well-being.

Students learning valuable lessons

One of the students, Felicia Sibambo, reported that she herself picked up many valuable lessons during this learning opportunity. “Participating in this community project improved my knowledge, skills, and experience. I am now more careful about what I say and how I say it, and I can pause before I speak, because I am aware that communication is one of the factors that affect conflict.”

Regarding her interactions with the school group, Felicia says, “I have acquired from them the qualities they portray, such as being kind, joyful, united, compassionate – the list is endless. I hope that they maintain that wonderful energy. It has been a lovely experience.”

Eden-Lee Mohr, who believes that it is important to be considerate and kind, was a member of the group that focused on communication skills and conflict management. She says the podcast not only helped the teachers; it also helped her. She says she also learned a lot about herself in this process.

According to Konaye Masiba, who learned to see things from different perspectives, this project has facilitated her personal growth. She states: “Working on this project was an advantage for me, because I gained knowledge concerning teamwork, time management, and the importance of communication.”

Rihani Lombard, who felt out of her comfort zone during the project, says she was once again reminded of the importance of prioritising her mental health. She also implemented the information that she shared with the Lettie Fouché work group in her own life.

Delmariè Cilliers says the project has made her more aware of the community and how to assess their needs. “Don’t assume their needs. It is very important to hear the community's voice and then act on their voice,” she says.

Podcasts adding value in e-service learning

Despite being a teaching tool equipping students in the Community Psychology module, the project greatly benefited the Lettie Fouché work group. They only had positive feedback to share with the students, especially about the format in which the information was shared. Van Heerden says the podcasts helped them to listen to the information at any time in any place. The topics covered were also relevant, they indicated. They also felt that the strategies shared with them, including self-regulation, practising self-compassion and mindfulness, were easy to learn.

She adds: “Besides equipping us to deal with day-to-day communication and conflict challenges, the Lettie Fouché staff appreciated the podcasts as it also reminded us about the importance of taking care of our own well-being. The group has without a doubt succeeded in their goal: promoting teacher wellness.”

News Archive

Questions about racial integration in residences answered

2007-07-31

Answers to frequently asked questions about the racial integration of student residences at the UFS

1. Why does the UFS want to change the current situation in the student residences?

There are many reasons why a new approach to placement in the student residences is necessary. However, the main reason is of an educational nature. As a university, the UFS should create an environment in its residences where students can learn to appreciate and respect the rich diversity that is on offer at the university. A university accommodates students from many different backgrounds in terms of race, language, religion, economic status, culture and other aspects. If a student can learn to appreciate the value in this rich diversity at university, he or she will also be able to appreciate the value of this diversity in the workplace and broader society.

The current situation of predominantly white and predominantly black residences has not been able to cultivate such an appreciation for diversity and respect for one another as human beings, and will not equip students with the knowledge and skills required to manage diversity.

Besides this, there are many other areas of life in the residences that need attention. For one, we need to urgently establish a human rights culture in the residences so that the rights of all students can be respected. We need to address the abuse of alcohol, provide disabled students with their rightful place, and last but not least, really entrench a culture of learning in student residences.

Let us make the residences places we can be proud of – places of learning, of diversity, of respect; places of growth and development. This is the ideal we should all strive to achieve.

2. Why does the management want to force us to integrate?

It is a false argument to debate the issue in terms of “force”. Any decision by a University, or any other organisation, regarding matters of policy, rules and regulations implies a restriction on the choice of an individual and an obligation to comply. What we should focus on is whether this decision of the Council is in the best interests of our students.

The management of the university believes that it has a responsibility to give students the best education possible, not only in terms of what you learn in the lecture rooms, but especially in the residences as well. The residences can be very powerful places of learning about matters of great importance, both academic and non-academic.

The parallel-medium language policy separates students into largely white/Afrikaans and black/English classes. Efforts are being made to bridge this divide in the classroom, but we can also try to eliminate it in the residences.

The university is committed to building a new culture for the entire institution that is based on values and principles – such as an academic culture, non-racialism, respect for human rights and diversity – among staff and students.

In the context of student residences, the application of these values and principles still allows substantial room for the voluntary exercising of choice by individuals as well as by Residence Committees, notably with regard to the placement of students (they can still place 50 percent of first-year students), as well as the determination of the future character and traditions of a diverse residence.

Furthermore, students can still choose their residences (subject to availability of places), can choose a roommate, and so forth.

3. What about freedom of association?

The rights we enjoy in a democracy must be balanced against other rights, as well as the laws of the country. This means that the right to freedom of association must be balanced against laws that make it illegal to discriminate against other people on the basis of race, language or religion, for instance.

Freedom of association pertains to the right of individuals to form voluntary organisations such as clubs or private boarding houses, or their right to join or not join existing organisations. You exercise that right when you decide to become a student of the UFS, and again when you choose to live in one of its residences.

However, once you have decided to join an organisation voluntarily, you cannot subsequently demand that that organisation should provide a “club” or residence to your liking where, for instance, you only associate with your choice of co-members. You must accept the policies of that organisation.

In any case, how would that right of yours be balanced against the right of another individual who wishes to associate with a different set of co-members? (For instance – what about the freedom of a student to associate with students NOT from his own background, but indeed from another language, cultural, racial or economic background?)

The constitutional right to freedom of association can, in any case, not be used to exclude or discriminate on the basis of race or religion (Section 18 of the Bill of Rights).

Besides, the new policy guidelines will still make provision for freedom of association. This right can be exercised freely within a diverse residence with regard to friendships, joint academic work, socialising, sport, etc.

4. Will residences not lose their traditions?

The University appreciates that there are many valuable elements of tradition in residences. However, we must bear in mind that the traditions and character of student residences have evolved and changed over time, and they will continue to evolve and to change. In addition, we do not need to accept all aspects of residence life purely on the basis of tradition, including the unacceptably high level of alcohol abuse and unsavoury, humiliating and discriminatory orientation practices. The new approach to integrated residences provides the opportunity to retain the positive aspects of the current traditions and character, but also to develop new traditions and give residences a new character.

We can now establish a tradition and a character for each residence that are reconcilable with the values of the University as a place of scholarship and are aligned with the human rights approach of our country’s Constitution, the laws of our country and the strengths and diversity of the students in a particular residence.

5. Have students been involved in this process? Is there a role for them to play after the decision has been taken by the Council of the UFS?

In the first semester of 2007, during two rounds of consultations, the primes, SRC and student organisations were consulted about the proposed new placement policy to increase diversity in residences. Some residences also made written submissions on the matter (such as Madelief, Soetdoring, Wag-'n-bietjie, Vergeet-my-nie, Emily Hobhouse). Other residences requested and were granted more time, but did not make any submissions in the end (such as Reitz and Armentum).

Management also had several meetings with the above-mentioned structures to hear first-hand from students their concerns and solutions regarding possible challenges presented by integration in residences.

During these interactions, several excellent ideas and proposals were put forward by students. These views had a definite impact on the eventual proposal that was taken to the University Council, in particular regarding the minimum level of diversity (30%) in junior residences and the fact that residences still want to have a say in the placement of students, rather than the placement decision being left in the hands of Management alone (hence the 50% placement portion of residences). Management values the effort that was put into the process by the primes and residence committees, and thanks them for their contributions.

However, it should be stressed that consultation should not be understood as a process of negotiation, nor does it imply that consensus must be reached. What it means is that Management must take a considered decision after hearing the views of stakeholders.

Management would like students to continue to provide input and ideas regarding the implementation details of the policy guidelines. Task teams have been established and students will be informed about how they can interact with the task teams on an ongoing basis.

6. But integration in the residences was tried in the past (in the late 1990s), and then it failed. Why will it work now?

Yes, the University of the Free State did integrate its residences as far back as 1993, and for a few years it worked. The UFS did it at that time and is now doing so again, because it is the right thing to do. Yet it is important to understand why the previous attempt at racial integration in residences was not successful.

Firstly, both black and white students were much polarised because of the apartheid past. Secondly, there was insufficient management support for students in the residences, the student leaders generally as well as residence heads, in terms of dealing with diversity and related issues. Thirdly, the institutional culture of the UFS and the residences in particular was not addressed as part of broader transformation and integration in residences, whereas it is now being addressed.

In addition, the current decision to integrate residences has the benefit of being implemented after several more years of integration in schooling, sport, workplaces and other aspects of life.

This decision is also based on Management’s commitment to give all the possible support it can to this process.

This is a very important initiative that the UFS is undertaking. Management, in co-operation with students, must ensure that it succeeds. Integrated residences that produce high-quality graduates equipped to deal with the challenges of the workplace and our society is a worthwhile ideal we should all strive to achieve.

If you would like to make a proposal regarding the implementation and practical aspects of the new policy, please send it to the following email address: rector@ufs.ac.za

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept