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Prof Marlize Rabe appointed as Vice-Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of The Humanities

16 May 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Lutendo Mabata

The University of the Free State (UFS) proudly announces the appointment of Prof Marlize Rabe as Vice-Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of The Humanities. Commencing her tenure on 1 April 2024, Prof Rabe brings a wealth of experience and a vision for advancing pedagogical excellence within the academic community.

Reflecting on her new role, Prof Rabe expressed enthusiasm, stating, “Being part of this esteemed faculty is an exciting prospect. I hope to add value through this appointment by working with lecturers and students on various levels.”

Previously serving as Head of the Sociology Department at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Prof Rabe’s academic journey positions her uniquely to navigate the responsibilities of her new portfolio, drawing from her extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate education.

What this new role entails

The scope of Prof Rabe’s role encompasses multifaceted aspects, including management and administration. She elaborates,’’In many instances, this position offers an opportunity to identify common ground and foster collaborations, thus facilitating the growth of all stakeholders involved.” Such collaborations, she emphasises, are pivotal in propelling the faculty towards innovation and pioneering approaches to teaching and learning.

What to expect in the near future

Looking ahead, Prof Rabe outlines forthcoming initiatives aimed at enhancing the academic landscape. Notably, a colloquium scheduled for the second semester will explore the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in assessments, ensuring relevance and accessibility for both educators and students. As it is, a dedicated task team within the faculty is poised to spearhead these transformative endeavours.

Furthermore, Prof Rabe wants to focus on quality assurance in the faculty. ‘’We must be accountable to our students to maintain the highest standards of education,” she asserts, underscoring the imperative of continual evaluation and benchmarking against global best practices.

In celebration of Prof Rabe’s appointment, the University of the Free State extends its warmest congratulations, anticipating a future marked by innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence under her leadership.

News Archive

Students help to get the economy back to the rural areas

2009-08-14

At the launch of Sanlam’s Creativity for Progress Competition for the Ekn 324 group were, from the left: P.J. Bothma, Mr Frank Louw, National Sponsorship Manager of Sanlam, Dr Karen Thomas, lecturer in Economic Policy at the Department of Economics, Kaylee Wells and Eugene Maseme.
Photo: Lacea Loader

Third-year students in the subject Economic Policy Analysis at the UFS are hard at work to think of ideas on how knowledge and expertise can be taken back to the rural areas of South Africa. This is the theme of Sanlam’s national competition for universities called Creativity for Progress with a total prize money of R900 000. This year's topic is "Rural areas are failing to retain and attract skilled people and graduates, resulting in economic stagnation. How would you remedy this?"

The group of 162 students, which is divided into groups of six, must compile a project that is academically grounded, practical and implementable. They must also approach the project from a community service learning perspective and it counts a quarter of their semester mark. To encourage the students, Prof. Tienie Crous, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, has sponsored some prizes for which the groups must compete. Teams of between four and six members will first compete at intra-varsity level to determine a varsity winner. The national panel members will then adjudicate the varsity winners, and invite the semi finalists to the finals. Teams will be assessed on their business proposals as well as the presentation of these proposals to a panel of judges. Last year the group from the UFS ended second in the final round of the competition.

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