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Dr Sebolao honoured with prestigious HERS-SA Award

22 October 2024 | Story Jacky Tshokwe | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce that Dr Rosaline Sebolao, our Teaching and Learning Manager in the Faculty of The Humanities, has been recognised with an award from Higher Education Resource Services South Africa (HERS-SA). At the ceremony, Dr Sebolao was one of the top five finalists for her exceptional contributions to higher education, particularly in academic administration.

The HERS-SA Award celebrates outstanding women in academic administration, acknowledging their crucial role in supporting and transforming the higher education landscape. According to Dr Sebolao, “The significance of this award lies in its developmental and transformative impact.” She explains that it highlights the essential contributions made by women in academic administration and encourages gender transformation within universities. This recognition empowers women to take on leadership roles, shifting the focus beyond traditional academic achievements.

Award recipients are selected based on a minimum of five years of demonstrated leadership in academic administration. Dr Sebolao’s innovative leadership practices, her contributions to institutional performance, her peer mentoring, and community engagement were all key criteria in her selection. Her mentoring efforts, particularly through school visits and support for underprivileged students, have made a lasting impact on the community and her peers.

Reflecting on the honour of receiving the award, Dr Sebolao describes it as “humbling and exciting”. She felt especially inspired as a mentor, noting that this recognition has the potential to encourage young women and men to strive for excellence in their academic and administrative pursuits.

Achievements leading to the award

In her role as Teaching and Learning Manager, Dr Sebolao has made significant contributions to both students and academics at the UFS. She has initiated several impactful projects, including the establishment of student indabas and entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at addressing graduate unemployment. Her commitment to improving communication led to the launch of a faculty newsletter, enhancing engagement among academics.

Among her most notable achievements is the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project, which culminated in the UFS’ inaugural SoTL seminar in July 2024. She also spearheaded the Humanities Excellence Awards, encouraging faculty to pursue greater academic and research recognition. Her dedication to engaged scholarship extended beyond the university, resulting in community collaborations such as the establishment of a school library in Ikgomotseng, promoting literacy and education among local learners.

Dr Sebolao’s academic journey began after transitioning from the business sector to academia in 2013. Her experience in roles such as Peer Mentorship Coordinator and Teaching and Learning Coordinator at the Central University of Technology, and later as Manager of Special Projects in Teaching and Learning, helped shape her leadership style. She joined the UFS during the challenging COVID-19 period, a time that also marked some of her greatest achievements.

One of the key challenges that Dr Sebolao faced was overcoming the isolated nature of work within the faculty. By fostering a collaborative culture, she succeeded in promoting teamwork and innovation across departments. This approach not only improved institutional collaboration, but also strengthened her professional impact.

Dr Sebolao’s relationship with HERS-SA has been instrumental in her development as a leader in higher education. Since participating in the HERS-SA Academy in 2018, she has connected with influential women in the sector and solidified her commitment to mentoring others. Winning this award affirms the importance of mentoring and paves the way for future leaders in higher education.

Looking to the future, Dr Sebolao aspires to continue championing gender transformation in leadership. She aims to empower more women, particularly black women, to take on leadership roles within academia. Her focus is on fostering community development through collaborative projects that promote sustainable living, aligning with her broader vision for teaching and learning at the UFS.

Dr Sebolao encourages young women to believe in their abilities and seek mentorship for guidance and support. She emphasises that perseverance, coupled with a strong support network, is essential to achieving leadership success in higher education.

Outside of her professional life, Dr Sebolao draws motivation from her family and community work. Guided by Ecclesiastes 9:10, which emphasises dedication in all endeavours, and inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s words, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” she remains committed to leading with passion and integrity.

The UFS community is incredibly proud of Dr Sebolao’s achievement and her continuous contributions to academic excellence and gender transformation in higher education. This award is a testament to her tireless efforts and dedication to empowering others.

News Archive

Heidedal-based foundation and UFS host inaugural music concert

2015-12-04

ROC children rock in marimba music
Photo: Valentino Ndaba

Reach Our Community (ROC) Foundation in conjunction with the University of the Free State’s Odeion School of Music (OSM) held its first-ever music concert last month. Children who form part of the foundation’s Afterschool Care programme showed their impressive music skills to their parents and guardians in attendance.

ROC provides support to orphaned and vulnerable children from early childhood through to adolescence in the Heidedal community in Bloemfontein. The foundation strives to address the challenges resulting from factors such as poverty, unemployment, HIV/Aids, single parenting, lack of guardianship, and physical and sexual abuse. In the Afterschool Care programme, the children engage in educational, cultural, and recreational activities.

Going the extra mile

Since 2008, the UFS has successfully partnered with ROC through service learning and community engagement in which students from across all seven faculties participate. Two Music Education and Practice students from the OSM took it upon themselves to continue after their curriculum requirements were met.

Amy Viljoen- now a final-year BMus student, together with fellow student, Petre du Plessis, and their lecturer and programme coordinator, Gerda Pretorius, established the music class project in Heidedal in 2014. The students embarked on weekly trips to ROC, and would spend an hour working on the recorders and marimbas with children from ROC.

This year, Viljoen and Kara-Lynn Crankshaw, a final-year BA Music student, spent eleven months teaching the children music practice and theory, culminating in a concert that both the community and students can be proud of.

“I wanted to do something that was not only meant for educational purposes, but to give back to the community,” said Viljoen.

After having to gather extra chairs because of the influx of community members at the ROC hall, the founder, Patrick Kaars, said he had not expected such a turn-out. “It exceeded my expectations, and it was a dream come true. It meant so much to the children to be exposed to music, and to explore their own capabilities and talents.”

More children will learn how to play other instruments. Currently, the instruments used for the children’s training were purchased second-hand in order to cut costs. New music education specialists, who will join the programme in 2016, will also work with Pretorius to gather additional equipment, and compile learning material.

Kaars is also thrilled about the potential expansion to the music group, now that the concert has become an annual event. The OSM is also in the process of establishing a Centre for Music Development at ROC.

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