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Dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee appointed Evaluator for national counselling programmes

08 May 2024 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied

Dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee, Director of Student Counselling and Development (SCD) at the University of the Free State (UFS), was recently appointed as an Evaluator Counselling Psychologist for Higher Educational Institution and Internship Site Programmes under the Accreditations and Quality Assurance Committee of the Professional Board for Psychology within the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

This appointment will enable Dr Dunn-Coetzee to contribute directly towards boosting the quality of counselling psychology training and internship programmes across South Africa. “The role entails visiting South African higher education institutions (HEIs) with counselling psychology internships and evaluating whether their internships align with the requirements of the HPCSA,” she explained. “This appointment strengthens the SCD’s internship and aligns perfectly with my current role.”

Motivated by her belief in the profound impact of counselling psychologists on society, Dr Dunn-Coetzee emphasised the importance of providing quality internships. "My role can enhance relationships between rotational sites in South Africa and assist sites where some development might be needed."

She outlined the criteria for assessing internship sites and highlighted the anticipated contributions to the development of counselling psychology training programmes nationwide. “The evaluations create a space for discussion, learning, and development,” she explained. “I envision that an Evaluator role can positively impact the quality of training and support offered to counselling psychology interns.”

Dr Dunn-Coetzee also acknowledged the challenges ahead, particularly regarding the diverse landscape of HEIs across South Africa. “The amount of administration, financial resources, and logistical resources needed to host internships is significant,” she noted. “I believe that this might be a challenge.”

Looking to the future, she expressed her hopes for more internship opportunities and expanded training programmes. “I would like to see more internship opportunities being established for counselling psychology interns,” she said. “At SCD, we have learned valuable lessons that will strengthen my role in achieving these goals.”

The UFS congratulates Dr Dunn-Coetzee on her appointment, which we are sure will herald a new era of excellence in counselling psychology training, promising a brighter future for aspiring psychologists across South Africa.

News Archive

New SRC constitution for UFS main campus agreed upon by all organisations

2005-07-20

University of the Free State Fact Sheet

1. The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) unanimously approved an amendment to the SRC constitution for the main campus to allow for the introduction of proportional representation (PR) alongside a first-past-the-post electoral system.

2. This decision was taken by the UFS Council on 10 June 2005 at the same meeting where it also approved the establishment of a Central SRC for the three campuses of the UFS.

3. The new main campus SRC constitution is the result of consensus reached during a lengthy negotiation process involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League, the ACDP, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, as well as the democratically elected SRC members of the main campus. Independent persons such as Mr Jack Klaas and Mr Kobus van Loggerenberg facilitated the negotiation process.

4. The consensus reached during this process, and the subsequent decision by Council, represent a major breakthrough for student governance and transformation of the UFS main campus and constitutes a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of all students at the UFS main campus in the governance of the university.

5. The introduction of the proportional representation system follows earlier calls by some student formations, notably Sasco and the ANC Youth League, for such a system to be introduced at the UFS main campus in Bloemfontein.

6. In terms of the amendments to the main campus SRC constitution, nine of the 18 SRC members are to elected by means of proportional representation and nine on the basis of an direct, first-past-the-post election.

7. The following portfolios of the main campus SRC will be contested by individual candidates on the basis of “first past the post”:
• president
• secretary
• academic affairs
• legal and constitutional affairs
• student development
• arts and culture
• men’s internal liaison
• ladies internal liaison
• media, marketing and liaison

8. The following nine portfolios will be contested by affiliated organizations on a proportional representation basis.
• two vice-presidents
• treasurer
• dialogue and associations
• transformation
• campus affairs and recreation
• sport
• international affairs
• community service

9. These two decisions regarding student governance represent a breakthrough in that, for the first time in many years, all SRC constitutional changes were processed and approved by the June meeting of the Council, well in time for the scheduled August SRC election; in addition, all relevant student organizations have been part of the process and all have accepted the outcome of the process.

20 July 2005

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