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20 March 2023 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Lunga Luthuli
Peer mentor support programme
Pictured are students who recently attended the peer mentor training programme for the 2023 Peer Mentor cohort on the Qwaqwa Campus.

Helping first-year students with the transition to a university environment, the University of the Free State (UFS) has been running the Peer Mentor Programme.  Over more than a decade, it has grown by leaps and bounds, providing a socio-emotional space conducive to student learning, development, and success.

Previously known as the P3 Mentor Programme, which was only available to students on the Bloemfontein Campus, it has grown into an institutional programme that provides support to first-year students on all three UFS campuses.

Dr WP Wahl, Director: Student Life: Division of Student Affairs, said: “The biggest need observed was that first-year students find it hard to adjust to the university environment, and since its inception, this programme has provided significant support.” The first-year student cohort for 2023 had their first interaction with their peer mentors on Friday 10 March 2023.

To become a peer mentor, senior undergraduate students go through a rigorous selection and training process before serving in a mentor role, and must have an average of 60% in their studies.

Recently, the UFS trained more than 500 student peer mentors on the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa campuses to act as trusted confidants to first-year students on all three campuses, connecting them to resources and opportunities and acting as healthy role models. 

“Peer mentors are also trained to co-create solutions with first-year students in response to their specific developmental needs. First-year students who join a peer mentor group also become part of a friendship circle,” added Dr Wahl.

Part of the Division of Student Affairs that students can look out for is Kovsie Support Services, where they can sign up for the Future Lead Challenge offered by the Student Leadership Development Office

For student support, the Career Services Division also has a Career Development Programme, which helps students to think about and plan for their future careers. 

News Archive

Masters Degree in Development Studies Programme
2006-02-03

The Masters Degree in Development Studies Programme, presented by the Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State (UFS), this year boasts with the most international students registered for a masters programme at the UFS.  The programme is designed for people currently working in a development-related context, or who intend to do so.  This year almost 140 applications were received, from which only 58 were accepted.  Of those, 60% are from African countries.        
 

 

The programme's first contact session took place recently.  Attending the session were from the left Prof Lucius Botes (Programme Director: Centre for Development Support at the UFS); Ms Tendai Chiduku (a student from Zimbabwe); Ms Julia Shipena (a student from Namibia); Mr Neo Masithela (Free State MEC for Tourism, Environmental and  Economic Affairs and a student on the programme) and Mrs Dorie Olivier (Programme Coordinator at the UFS Centre for Development Support).
Photo: Armand Swanepoel

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