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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

UFS outperforms SA higher education in EU-Saturn programme
2016-12-14

Description: Erasmus Mundus Tags: Erasmus Mundus 

Partnering between the UFS and other institutions
makes it possible for staff and students to study abroad.
Pictured from left front, are: Mareve Biljohn (EU-Saturn
at University of Groningen), Memory Mphaphuli (INSPIRE
at University of Ghent) and Wanda Verster (EU-Saturn at
Uppsala University). Back: Moliehi Mpeli (Erasmus Mundus
at University of Leuven).
Photo: Stephen Collett

The University of the Free State (UFS) strives to invest in its staff and students and a proven example can be seen in the latest cycle of the Erasmus Mundus EU-SATURN programme.

The UFS outperformed the higher education sector over the past five years as it had more exchange scholarships than most South African universities. A total of 16 (18%) out of the 89 local scholarships allocated until 2016 were from UFS. Stellenbosch University, with 14 scholarships, was second.

University one of main roleplayers
Chevon Jacobs, Senior Officer said: “Internationalisation at the UFS is a great achievement as the university allocated all available scholarships to eligible staff and students. She said the strong partnership history between the university and some European institutions, due to a similarity between the language and culture of especially Dutch-speaking countries, is one of the reasons for the success.

“We are very proud of our participation. We have invested for these predominantly young members to spend time abroad in furthering their qualifications,” she said.

The EU-Saturn project has been jointly co-ordinated for the past five years by the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and the UFS.

One of few projects funded by Erasmus Mundus
The Erasmus Mundus is an international partnership aimed at enhancing the quality of European higher education and the promotion of dialogue and understanding between people and cultures through co-operation with other countries. The EUROSA, EU-Saturn, Aesop and INSPIRE to name a few, are all programmes funded by the European Union through the Erasmus Mundus. These projects offer fully funded part-time or full-time postgraduate scholarships for study in Europe.

Some of the universities UFS students have studied at are the University of Groningen, the University of Newcastle, England, and the University of Ghent, Belgium.

Successful UFS grantees awarded scholarships over the past five years:
•    Maria Campbell (2014 – PhD) – University of Newcastle
•    Sethulego Matebesi (2014 – PhD) – Uppsala University
•    Lindie Koorts (2016 – PhD) – University of Groningen    
•    Reginald Makgoba (2013/2014 – Master’s) – University of Newcastle
•    Sanet Steyn (2013/2014 – Master’s) – University of Groningen  
•    Johnathan Adams (2015/2016 – Master’s) - Göttingen University
•    Eben Coetzee (2013/2014 - PhD) – University of Groningen
•    André Janse van Rensburg (2013/2014 – PhD) – University of Ghent
•    Martin Rossouw (2013-2015 – PhD) – University of Groningen
•    Jan Schlebusch (2013-2016 – PhD) – University of Groningen
•    Carel Cloete (2014-2016 – PhD) – University of Groningen
•    Nadine Lake (2014-2016 – PhD) – Uppsala University
•    Elbie Lombard (2014-2016 – PhD) – University of Ghent
•    Luyanda Noto (2014/2015 – PhD) – University of Ghent
•    Mareve Biljohn (2015/2016 – PhD) – University of Groningen
•    Wanda Verster (2015/2016 – PhD) – Uppsala University

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