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07 March 2024
Photo Lunga Luthuli
Prof Francois Strydom, Senior Director at the Centre for Teaching and Learning and Simphiwe Kunene, the first African DREAM scholar and a master’s student from the Faculty of Education.
The University of the Free State (UFS) received recognition for its commitment to student success at the 2024 Achieving the Dream (ATD) conference which celebrated its 20-year anniversary. Simphiwe Kunene, an Education master's student originally from the Qwaqwa campus, was selected to represent South Africa as the first DREAM scholar from Africa as part of the conference.
The Achieving the Dream network of over 300 institutions, which is one of the largest movements in US higher education aims to transform colleges and universities so that students of colour and a lower socio-economic status are supported to earn a degree. The UFS is a leading partner in the Siyaphumelela Network, which has been working for 10 years with ATD to enhance the success of students in South Africa. Prof Francois Strydom, Senior Director at the Centre of Teaching and Learning (CTL), accepted the award on behalf of the institution.
Prof Strydom said that collaboration with the ATD and Siyaphumelela institutions has helped the UFS to develop cutting-edge approaches to “level the playing field” and support Kovsies to earn their undergraduate degrees.
The first African DREAM scholar
Kunene was selected as the first African DREAM scholar from the Siyaphumelela network. To select the DREAM scholar, each Siyaphumelela partner institution nominated one student as a preferred candidate. From the proposed candidates, the DREAM scholar was selected by the South African Institute for Distance Education (Saide) based on the following: demonstrating resilience, academic excellence, and a deep commitment to making a positive difference in universities and personal communities.
He addressed the conference of over 2 000 delegates and shared with them his hopes and dreams. Many members of the South African delegation said Simphiwe did his country proud. He had the following to say about his opportunity to be a DREAM scholar: “Being a DREAM scholar was life changing for me, exposing me to an array of opportunities I never knew were possible and available for me. It was as if, for a moment, the world had stopped to just listen to what I had to say."
The way forward
The UFS will continue its work as a partner of the Siyaphumelela network for the 2024-2026 cycle. The multi-stakeholder project team is focused on enhancing undergraduate students’ time, and to position the UFS as a thought and research leader in the area of student success as part of Vision 130.
“Arts Festival” Rally promises to be great fun!
2008-06-17
The annual Amazing Rainbow Rally, presented by the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and UFS Marketing, will take place on Friday, 11 July 2008 during the Volksblad Arts Festival on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.
Teams will start at 12:00 at the Protea Hotel in Nelson Mandela Drive, before proceeding to the campus. This year’s rally will have a new twist, namely that all the checkpoints will be on the campus.
Corporate companies in Bloemfontein and departments at the UFS may still enter as there is still place for four teams. A team consists of two team members who must work together to complete a route with various checkpoints. Teams must complete tasks at every checkpoint to be able to proceed to the next checkpoint. The team, who finishes first after having successfully completed all the tasks, is the winner. Last year, Pieter Skein and Steyn Strauss of Naudés Attorneys were the winners of the rally.
The “Arts Festival” Rally promises to challenge teams physically, mentally and even artistically. Festival goers will also have the opportunity to see how their favourite team is doing.
The rally will be presented for the fourth time in 2008. The main goal of this year’s rally is to raise funds for the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health’s “Beds of Hope” Campaign. This campaign seeks to increase the number of intensive care beds in the paediatric and neonatal wards. Currently, around 250 children and babies in central South Africa cannot receive the life-saving care they need because of a lack of facilities.
Enquiries about the rally can be directed to Ms Adéle van Aswegen at 051 401 3535 or Ms Ilse Smalberger at 051 401 2415.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
17 June 2008