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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.
Students get a place to rag
2008-01-16
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A jol place where students from the University of the Free State (UFS) can socialise during events such as rag and intervarsity was officially handed over to the UFS by the builders this week.
The Jol place, which is situated on the Western Campus, has ten float building areas, each with its own power points (currently temporarily) and container (also temporarily). There are also outside taps and high-mast lights on the premises and a large area has been paved. The covered area includes an open stoep, kitchens, a bar, and a stage with artists’ dressing rooms as well as bathrooms for men and ladies and for persons with disabilities. The premises, that includes wooden and concrete benches, can accommodate 1 200 people.
The total project cost for this facility was R6,3 million, of which just over 50% was contributed by Absa.
Attending the hand over ceremony were, from the left: Prof. Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS), Mr Natie Botes (from the building company Ströhfeldt Sikeye Joint Ventures), Ms Edma Pelzer
(Director: Physical Resources and Special Projects and the UFS), Dr Natie Luyt (Dean of Student Services), and Jolice Neniëls (forth-year LL.B. student).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
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