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Prof Francis Petersen steps down as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS as from 30 September 2024

31 May 2024 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

The Council of the University of Pretoria (UP) has approved the appointment of Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Principal as from 1 October 2024.

Prof Petersen has been Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State (UFS) since 1 April 2017, and has been reappointed in the position by the Council for a second five-year term as from 31 March 2022.

“Prof Petersen’s tenure at the UFS was characterised by remarkable leadership, and the Council has great appreciation for the work he has done as well as for the university’s achievements under his leadership. Excellence, inclusivity, innovation, academic freedom, a particular focus and emphasis on critical enquiry, social responsiveness, and integrity were the value characteristics through which Prof Petersen led as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS. He led the university through challenging and complex times – not only for the institution, but also for the higher education sector – with a primary focus on and commitment to stakeholder engagement. He brought stability for the university and placed great emphasis on the institution’s visibility and its impact on society.”

“On behalf of the Council and the entire university community, I thank and commend Prof Petersen for his dedicated leadership and wish him all the best in his new role as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria,” says Mr David Noko, Chairperson of the UFS Council.

“Serving as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State has been one of the greatest honours of my career, and I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved together over the past seven years. During my tenure, I have been blessed to work with and meet exceptional staff, students, and other stakeholders from one of the greatest universities in the country in an effort to further advance the UFS nationally and internationally. As I step down, I am grateful for the support and collaboration I have received from our university community, and I am confident that the university is well positioned for continued growth and success,” says Prof Petersen.

The UFS Council will appoint an acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal to serve in this position as from 1 October 2024 until a new incumbent is appointed. This announcement will be made as soon as possible.

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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