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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.
USSA cross country 2008
2008-10-16
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The student cross country championships of 2008 took place on the 29 and 30 September 2008 at the University of Kwazulu Natal.
‘n Total of 109 athletes took part. The Kovsies men`s team was Boy Soke, Johan Cronje, Michael Tlhoro, Dirk Gouws, Ben Smit and Antonie Peens. The womens team was represented by Este de Jager, Abongile Lerotholi, Thandi Malindi, Rone Reynecke en Maryna Swanepoel.
The women’s team took the honours by winning the team competition in the 4km race. They finished as follows: De Jager 3rd, Lerotholi 5th, Malindi 6th, Reynecke 7th and Swanepoel 16th.
The men’s team also did well under circumstances – Our number 2 and 3 runners were injured and Antonie Peens, our number 5, was diagnosed with measles on the morning of the race. They finished 3rd in the men`s 4km race. However the men can kept their heads high. They finished as follow: Soke 2nd, Cronje 12th, Tlhoro 17th, Gouws 29th and Smit 39 th.
In the road relay race our womens team again did us proud by winning the race by a huge margin. Our team was Thandi Malindi, Abongile Lerotholi and Este de Jager.
The men`s team perform well under difficult circumstances by finishing 4th. The team was Dirk Gouws, Johan Cronje, Michael Tlhoro en Boy Soke.
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Este de Jager
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