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Academic programme to continue online with immediate effect

02 August 2023

Sporadic disruptions of academic activities occurred yesterday and this morning on the Bloemfontein, South and Qwaqwa Campuses.

In recent weeks, the university management has made various attempts to keep the campuses open for face-to-face learning and teaching amid challenges experienced with the disbursement of students’ National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances through eZaga, an online digital banking service, tasked with dispersing direct payments to NSFAS beneficiaries.

These attempts include, but are not limited to, the attendance of meetings by UFS representatives with NSFAS, arranged by Universities South Africa (USAf); meetings with NSFAS attended by Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal; constant engagements with NSFAS by the university’s Financial Aid Office; a meeting with the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, to discuss the matter – this was postponed to a later date; constant engagements with the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) on matters relating to NSFAS, etc. These attempts are, however, not acceptable to our students.

To minimise the risk to the academic programme, as well as the fact that this is a sector-wide challenge, the academic programme, (activities, classes, and assignments) will continue online as far as possible from 2 to 4 August 2023. Further information about students’ online academic programme will be communicated by the respective faculties.

The university management would like to thank our academic staff for their commitment during this time, and for ensuring that the academic programme continues through online delivery.

The university is not closed; all other activities will continue as normal. All campuses are also accessible. The situation on the campuses is being monitored closely and the necessary security measures are in place to ensure the safety of students and staff.

The university’s protocol during protests provides guidance to students and staff on how to act during protests.

Students and staff will be updated on the situation.

News Archive

Special Edition of the Journal for New Generation Sciences launched at UFS

2016-10-26

Description: Journal for New Generation Sciences launched Tags: Journal for New Generation Sciences launched

Participants of the round-table discussion
at the launch of the Journal for New Generation
Sciences during the UFS Faculty of Education
colloquium which took place on 20 October 2016.
Photo: Oteng Mpete

The Journal for New Generation Sciences Special Edition was launched on 20 October 2016, at the Albert Wessels Auditorium, during the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Education colloquium on the field of technological higher education and its contribution to the knowledge society.

Partnerships and knowledge production
Prof Laetus Lategan, Dean of Research and Innovation at the Central University of Technology (CUT), led the launch. “Higher education is not only about producing knowledge but it is also about fostering new relationships,” said Prof Lategan referring to CUT’s collaboration with the UFS Faculty of Education.

“Empowering people is important for capacity building, offering novice writers the opportunity to learn and a way to enhance their academic writing,” said Prof Lategan.

The Journal for New Generation Sciences is an accredited research publication in which scholars, internal and external to the institution, may publish. It accommodates national and international publications and showcases the university’s commitment to applied research.

Growing in leaps and bounds
According to Dr Somarie Holtzhausen, from the Faculty of Education’s School of Higher Education Studies, all papers are peer-reviewed by at least two experts. An editorial review also secures the quality of the paper. In 2014, when the journal was established, 30 contributions were submitted, although only 25 were successfully published.

“We turn down content not because it is not good, but unfortunately because it does not speak to the heart of the journal,” said Prof Lategan. With 60 peer reviewers, the journal’s contributors are assured that at least two peer reviewers will assess their article.

The Journal for New Generation Sciences supports both high-quality scholarly work of established researchers, and capacity building among new researchers.

During the round-table discussion various contributors to the journal spoke about their research and involvement in the publication of the journal.

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