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07 March 2024 Photo Lunga Luthuli
Simphiwe Kunene and Prof Francois Strydom
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.  

News Archive

Top ‘political analyst’ for Spring graduation
2013-09-15

Graduands and parents can prepare themselves for an exciting Spring graduation, with a top ‘political analyst’ and a young woman who sees and sings with her soul, as guest speakers.

Chester Missing, South Africa’s top puppet political commentator, and Shenley Pretorius, a blind singer, will address the more or less 650 graduands on Thursday 19 September 2013. 

A total of 544 bachelors and honours degrees, as well as 106 diplomas and certificates, will be awarded during the graduation ceremony in the Callie Human Centre at the Bloemfontein Campus. The qualifications will be awarded at two ceremonies.

Chester Missing, a presenter on the television programme, Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, will be 'accompanied' by Conrad Koch, one of South Africa’s most in demand comedy talents.

The 15-year-old Shenley touched people’s hearts nationwide when she appeared on Noot vir Noot, the SABC2 music programme, earlier this year. The teenager is a Grade 9 learner at Prinshof School for the Visually Impaired in Pretoria.

The programme for the different ceremonies is as follows:

  • 09:30 The Faculty of the Humanities awards 160 qualifications, The Faculty of Education 71 qualifications, the Faculty of Law 27 qualifications and the Faculty of Theology 2 qualifications.
  • 14:30 The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences awards 137 qualifications, the Faculty of Health Sciences 98 qualifications and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences 155 qualifications.

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