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UFS promotes student development through industry visits

07 July 2023 | Story Kekeletso Takang

UFS Industry VisitsUFS Industry Visits - promoting student development — Students from the University of the Free State (UFS) recently had the opportunity to visit four Bloemfontein companies as part of their learning experience in the School of Accountancy.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is committed to producing employable graduates. Being student-centred, the UFS is continuously seeking opportunities to promote the learning experience by taking a holistic approach where teaching and learning extend beyond the four walls of a lecture hall. It is to this end that the UFS School of Accountancy recently took hands with local businesses to expose students to the real world of work through industry visits.

Aimed at providing students with insights into the real world, the industry visits are the initial point of contact between students and the working industry. The approximately 280 students in the Bachelor of Accounting (final-years), Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Accounting, and Postgraduate Diploma in General Accountancy were exposed to the real world so they could see first-hand what professional accountants do, how the business world works, and how their different modules integrate.

Four of Bloemfontein’s largest companies agreed to host a group of 70 students each. Students were given the opportunity to sign up for the company they found most interesting. The companies – Raubex Infra, SA Truck Bodies, Interstate Bus Lines, which sponsored transport to and from all the companies, and Sun Windmill Casino – function in the construction, manufacturing, transportation, and entertainment sectors, respectively. Students were not only treated to talks by the directors and senior staff of all the companies who took time to address them and share insightful information about their operations, but also to tours and treats.

“The updated SAICA competency framework, which guides most of our teaching at the School of Accountancy, requires us to enhance our focus on professional values, attitudes, and acumens (PVAAs). The industrial visits specifically address business acumen, but the added benefit is that it inspires and excites students, as it exposes them to where they may be in future," says Ané Church, Lecturer in the School of Accountancy.

The industry visits were not only fun and tours, but students were also tasked with writing a reflective essay after the visit, setting out what they learnt, found interesting, and would recommend to the respective companies. This, in turn, addressed students’ writing skills and uses reflection as a means of learning.

News Archive

Statement: Visit of the Portfolio Committee on Education to the UFS

2005-02-25

The chair of the Portfolio Committee on Education (PCE) Prof Shepherd Mayatula has commended the management of the University of the Free State (UFS) for its positive approach to the incorporation of the Vista and Qwaqwa campuses.

According to a statement issued by the university’s communication section, Prof Mayatula said that while there were outstanding issues to address, a platform had been created through the visit of the portfolio committee for the UFS to find solutions.

Speaking at the end of a visit to the Bloemfontein campus of the UFS, Prof Mayatula said: “You know the issues that exist between the three campuses and you know the solutions. You don’t need recommendations from the Committee.”

Earlier today the PCE held a three-way meeting between the PCE, the management of the UFS and the Vista Task Team, representing staff and students at the Bloemfontein campus of the former Vista University .

The Bloemfontein campus of the former Vista University was incorporated into the UFS in January 2004.

The multi-party delegation from the PCE was led by its chairperson, Prof S Mayatula, while the delegation from the UFS was led by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, while the Vista Task Team was lead by Mr Paseka Mokoena.

Following a presentation by the Vista Task Team and a presentation by the UFS management, other committee members also commended the UFS for the spirit in which outstanding issues were being handled.

It was indicated by portfolio committee members that other universities have far more serious problems than the UFS, and that some of these universities have also been visited by the PCE. The UFS appears to be on the road to be an important pilot case for incorporations and mergers.

The issues that were discussed during today’s meeting included the following:

outstanding issues in the process of incorporating the Bloemfontein campus of the former Vista University into the UFS, including:
staff issues and conditions of service
issues of student aid and pipeline students
governance of the UFS
the long term utilisation of Vista as a site

The Rector and Vice-chancellor of the UFS, Prof Fourie, expressed his appreciation for the role played by the Portfolio Committee on Education in bringing about a common understanding of the transformation issues facing the UFS.

Prof Fourie said the Portfolio Committee’s visit was a useful intervention to bring about a sense of urgency in resolving matters affecting the Vista campus as well as the Qwaqwa campus.

Issued by: Mr Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
Cell: 072-207-8334
Tel: 051-401-2749
25 February 2005

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