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Unombuzo? Tloho o tlo botsa adviser ya hao

23 July 2024 | Story Teboho Mositi | Photo Yonela Vimba

Academic Advising Office 2024 — Bongumusa Zwane, one of the academic advisers, giving advice to students.

The Academic Advising Office in the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) on the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus hosted an Academic Advising activation under the theme: Unombuzo? Tloho o tlo botsa adviser ya hao for undergraduate students on 12 July 2024 in preparation for the second semester.

The event was aimed at assisting students to reach their full potential and strive for academic success. It marked the starting point for students to prepare for the second semester of their academic year in stride.

Increase student use of academic advising services

CTL aims to advance evidence-based innovation that promotes excellence in learning and teaching for student access with success.

The objective of the activation was to increase the visibility of academic advising on the Qwaqwa Campus. The goal was also to increase students’ use of the various general academic advising services. The Advising Office noticed that not many students attended general advising sessions in the last semester, which inspired the activation as well as the introduction of the newly appointed transition advisers.

The Advising Office urges students to attend time management and study strategy sessions. The office also assists students in collaboration with the faculties, Student Counselling and Development, residences, the No Student Hungry office, Career Services, and other stakeholders at the university.

Success of the event

The event was a great success, as 120 students showed up and had the opportunity to speak face to face to the advisers. Alongside the advisers, a curriculum adviser from the Faculty of The Humanities, representatives from University Estates, the CTL office, and Transition Development and Success were in attendance.

The advising team was able to introduce advising to students, listen to their concerns, and provide short general advising opportunities. Students were treated to some goodies at the event and were given a chance to enter a competition through a survey, which will result in four lucky students winning exciting prizes. Students had a great time, taking pictures, videos, and dancing to the music at the venue.

If students missed this opportunity, there will be more opportunities to meet the team through advising pop-ups:

• 26 July 2024 – Dining Hall

• 2 August 2024 – UFS Taxi Rank

• 16 August – Outside Fulufhelo Residence

• 13 September – Notice boards near the Intsika Building

Where to find your advisers

• Intsika Building, Ground Floor, Offices: 0030, 0043, 0044

• Email address: AdvisingQQ@ufs.ac.za

The activation’s objectives were to

• increase the visibility of academic advising on campus;

• increase student use of academic advising services;

• make students aware of the services offered by Academic Advising; and

• share different ways with students to connect with the advising team and how to set up appointments with their advisers.

News Archive

Universities now public spaces to exercise citizenship

2016-08-30

Description: Prof Lis Lange critical conversation Tags: Prof Lis Lange critical conversation

Prof Lis Lange believes universities have a critical
role to play in advancing democracy.
Photo: Thabo Kessah

In an attempt to promote common understanding on governance, leadership, and management processes at the University of the Free State (UFS), the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) recently hosted a critical conversation on the Qwaqwa Campus that was facilitated by Vice-Rector: Academic, Prof Lis Lange.

Prof Lange’s presentation firstly focused on the role that universities play, and the expectations thereof.

“From ancient history, universities have always had a critical role to play in the broader society,” she said. “They have always been characterised by the circulation of knowledge and ideas at a global level. They have always ensured that students’ skills and knowledge are properly certified.”

According to her, universities have changed quite a bit over the centuries.

“Historically, universities used to cater for the chosen few, but they now allow multitudes to have access as well. In the early 20th century, women and foreigners, for example, were excluded. How they relate to the society has also changed. They also used to create certain types of knowledge – at one stage this knowledge was influenced by the church. Research is now produced across a large spectrum of human and scientific knowledge,” she said.

Prof Lange also added that universities now even have a responsibility to advance democracy and to respond to societal needs.

“Despite the various tensions and contradictions between management and academic staff, between management and students, and between academic staff and students, universities are now public spaces to exercise citizenship. They provide space for all to have the right to speak and to be heard. They provide space for all to have similar rights and responsibilities,’ she said, while breaking down all the governance, leadership and management structures of the UFS.

The conversation was concluded with a question and answer session, with students mainly asking about internal UFS processes.

The session was well received by students.

“I really loved the conversation, which to me, was about breaking the walls between the management and students so as to achieve the goal of an effective university. We need more of these dialogues,” said Noxola Tshabalala, a BA Psychology student.

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