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UFS academic programme to resume face-to-face on Monday 7 August 2023

05 August 2023 | Story Lacea Loader

All academic activities on the campuses of the University of the Free State (UFS) will resume face-to-face on Monday 7 August 2023.

This decision by the university’s executive management comes after campus-wide protests on 2 August 2023, and the subsequent decision to continue the academic programme online until 4 August 2023.

The university can confirm that a large number of UFS-registered students funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) who have been excluded from payment, have received their allowances on Friday 4 August 2023. The university is aware that a small number of students have not yet onboarded successfully with eZaga – an online digital banking service tasked with disbursing direct payments to NSFAS beneficiaries. These students have been requested to urgently onboard successfully with eZaga in order to receive their allowances.

On a sectoral level, the university would also like to confirm that a statement has been issued by Universities South Africa (USAf) in which NSFAS and the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation are, among others, requested to urgently resolve the matter of the direct payment of allowances to students. The UFS fully supports the statement and is hopeful that an amicable and urgent solution to the matter can be found.

Protection Services and the South African Police Service remain on high alert and are monitoring the situation on the campuses closely. The necessary security measures are in place to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, will address our staff and students on 8 August 2023 about last week’s protest action. Please monitor the communication platforms for more information on this important engagement session.

A message from Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, to staff and students about last week’s protest was also shared on 3 August 2023.

News Archive

New SRC constitution for UFS main campus agreed upon by all organisations

2005-07-20

University of the Free State Fact Sheet

1. The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) unanimously approved an amendment to the SRC constitution for the main campus to allow for the introduction of proportional representation (PR) alongside a first-past-the-post electoral system.

2. This decision was taken by the UFS Council on 10 June 2005 at the same meeting where it also approved the establishment of a Central SRC for the three campuses of the UFS.

3. The new main campus SRC constitution is the result of consensus reached during a lengthy negotiation process involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League, the ACDP, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, as well as the democratically elected SRC members of the main campus. Independent persons such as Mr Jack Klaas and Mr Kobus van Loggerenberg facilitated the negotiation process.

4. The consensus reached during this process, and the subsequent decision by Council, represent a major breakthrough for student governance and transformation of the UFS main campus and constitutes a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of all students at the UFS main campus in the governance of the university.

5. The introduction of the proportional representation system follows earlier calls by some student formations, notably Sasco and the ANC Youth League, for such a system to be introduced at the UFS main campus in Bloemfontein.

6. In terms of the amendments to the main campus SRC constitution, nine of the 18 SRC members are to elected by means of proportional representation and nine on the basis of an direct, first-past-the-post election.

7. The following portfolios of the main campus SRC will be contested by individual candidates on the basis of “first past the post”:
• president
• secretary
• academic affairs
• legal and constitutional affairs
• student development
• arts and culture
• men’s internal liaison
• ladies internal liaison
• media, marketing and liaison

8. The following nine portfolios will be contested by affiliated organizations on a proportional representation basis.
• two vice-presidents
• treasurer
• dialogue and associations
• transformation
• campus affairs and recreation
• sport
• international affairs
• community service

9. These two decisions regarding student governance represent a breakthrough in that, for the first time in many years, all SRC constitutional changes were processed and approved by the June meeting of the Council, well in time for the scheduled August SRC election; in addition, all relevant student organizations have been part of the process and all have accepted the outcome of the process.

20 July 2005

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