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24 April 2023 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Charl Devenish
Jenna Clarkson
Jenna Clarkson is a devout communications student and a karateka. She had to deal with several health challenges during her studies, but nevertheless dreams of obtaining her PhD in Communication at the UFS.

Overcoming numerous health obstacles during her studies, Jenna Clarkson is in high spirits after obtaining her degree from the University of the Free State (UFS). While most students enjoyed an active social and campus life, she often had to visit the hospital while studying. Receiving her BA Integrated Organisational Communication qualification during the April 2023 graduation ceremony has been a healing balm after many years of pain. 
 
The Faculty of the Humanities graduate was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2021. In 2022, after several physiotherapists and emergency room visits, she was also diagnosed with juvenile disc disorder and sacroiliitis. The latter condition affects one or both sacroiliac joints where the lower spine and pelvis meet and may cause pain in one or both legs. 

Initially, Jenna assumed she had hurt herself during karate practice, but the pain would not subside. “I would randomly lose feeling in my legs and couldn’t sit. I spent a year in pain and struggled to walk, lift heavy objects, cough, and sleep on my side. I struggled with the fact that this was going to be an issue for the rest of my life.” 

However, with a lot of love from her friends, support from her lecturers, and grace with herself, Jenna learned how to handle the pain and to realise when she has met her limits. This student from Johannesburg says that although pain is frustrating and overwhelming, having emotional support helps. “Sometimes just having someone to listen and be there is the best thing.”

The journey to the graduation stage might have been difficult for this high-flyer, but it was a worthwhile undertaking. 

“I feel over the moon, and a little overwhelmed that it happened,” says Jenna about getting her degree in communications. Loving her field of study, she attended class eagerly and enjoyed her modules. “I love that I am allowed to create, I get to make something. There’s nothing more amazing than getting a brief and being able to look at it and create something from it that nobody else would have created. The bonus is that I am quite good at it too,” adds the student who is currently doing her honours degree at the UFS. 

Getting her first degree from the UFS, Jenna is determined to excel in her chosen field. 

“I would like to get my honours degree cum laude and do a PhD degree, but I am taking it one degree at a time. If it doesn’t work out that way, it’s okay. I am very good at figuring things out and making a plan.”

Jenna is determined to make her parents proud. “Having lost my dad at four, I do everything with the hope that he would be proud of my choices. My mom sacrificed a lot to give me the best life she could.”

News Archive

State of our campuses: Impact of non-completion of the 2016 academic year on UFS students
2016-10-08

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

Impact of non-completion of the 2016 academic year

The University of the Free State (UFS) reiterates its support and commitment to the cause of free higher education. We have stated our position in all the available spaces. We want to work with UFS students to put pressure on the government to commit itself to accept the many suggestions put forward to make free education possible within a negotiated timeframe.

We are also seriously committed to our responsibility of providing education to all students enrolled at the university. We are doing our outmost to ensure that we can resume academic activities next week.

Description: " Academic non-completion 2016 Tags: " Academic non-completion 2016

We want to bring to your attention what will happen to individual students if the UFS cannot resume classes fully on Monday 10 October 2016.

Currently we have extended the academic year by one week. Some faculties are working on Saturdays and Sundays, starting earlier and finishing later to complete the material that needs to be taught and the practical work that students need to do to be able to write exams.

In the three biggest faculties at the university: Education, the Humanities, and Natural Sciences, this is what will happen:

  • Education will fail to graduate 1 193 students
  • Humanities will fail to graduate 1 125 students
  • Natural and Agricultural Sciences will fail to graduate 1 390 students

In the professional faculties: Economic and Management Sciences, Health Sciences, and Law, this will happen:

  • Economic and Management Sciences will fail to graduate 997 students
  • Health Sciences will fail to graduate 633 students
  • Law will fail to graduate 619 students

In total, approximately 6 000 students will not receive complete transcripts of their degrees and the certificates for their qualifications.

The university currently has 3 238 students on NSFAS bursaries. None of these students will be able to apply for bursaries for the lost year. They will be regarded as having failed or not completed their courses. They will not only miss this year, but the opportunity of studying in the future.

These students come from families to which their success in higher education was supposed to mean a change in the future of the entire family. Some parents/guardians hold more than one job to be able to pay tuition fees.

In not allowing the year to continue and students to finish, we are throwing away the efforts that entire families of poor people have made for four or five years to put their children through university. The promise of free education for future generations means nothing to these families who are poor in the present.

In terms of the academic calendar, it is a false argument to say that universities will be able to enrol first-years, because what 2016 students will miss, is the second semester.

We do not have the capacity to teach double the number of students in the second semester. This also misses the point that those students who were completing modules in order to graduate, will waste an entire year (assuming they have funding) to complete their degrees. This argument does not see the knock-on effect that students, not promoting in modules from first to second and second to third year, etc., will have. Finally, this also misses the point of what will happen to students who have to repeat first-semester modules.

In terms of academic staff, students are discounting the willingness of academic staff to teach double or to have the academic year extended by approximately six weeks between teaching and examinations. The same can be said for all the administrative and support staff required for running the university.

In our case, all the students in the University Preparation Programme (UPP) on the South Campus in Bloemfontein will be stuck without being able to move into mainstream modules, preventing a new intake of UPP students for 2017. These are the poorest and most disadvantaged students at the UFS.

It is absolutely necessary to find a means of protest and political action that will not jeopardise the future of current students and the country’s desperate need for critical skills.  The interdict against violent protest secured by the UFS is still in force. The police will intervene if the interdict is not respected and the UFS will have no control over police actions.

We trust that parents/guardians and students understand the implications of the situation.

Kind regards,

Prof Nicky Morgan
Acting Rector
University of the Free State

 

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393


State of our campuses #11: Academic activities on UFS campuses continue

State of our campuses #10: Impact of non-completion of the 2016 academic year on UFS students 

State of our campuses #9: Academic programme on all UFS campuses to resume on Monday 10 October 2016

State of our campuses #8:  UFS extends vacation as from 28 September until 7 October 2016, 28 September 2016

State of our campuses #7: All three UFS campuses will be closed today, 27 September 2016.

State of our campuses #6: All UFS campuses reopen on Tuesday 27 September 2016

State of our campuses #5: UFS campuses to remain closed on Monday 26 September 2016

State of our campuses #4: Decisions about the UFS academic calendar

State of our campuses #3: UFS campuses closed until Friday 23 September 2016 

State of our campuses #2: UFS Bloemfontein and South Campuses closed on Tuesday 20 September 2016 (19 September 2016)

State of our campuses #1: Academic activities suspended on UFS Bloemfontein Campus (19 September 2016)

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