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11 September 2024
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Story Anthony Mthembu
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Photo Anthony Mthembu and Chelsea Carolus
From the left: Geraldine Lengau, Senior Officer in the Unit for Institutional Change at the UFS; and Oratile Reina, West College Prime.
As part of the initiatives lined up for College Week, the student leaders of West College at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a dialogue that primarily focused on discussing social justice as a value of Vision 130. The dialogue was held at Outeniqua Residence on 3 September 2024 and was well attended by students within West College.
According to Oratile Reina, West College Prime, “the motivation for the dialogue was to prepare newly elected leaders and our college community to align their efforts with Vision 130 – a vision that aims to create a more inclusive, equitable, and socially just environment on campus”. As such, she highlights that the dialogue was an opportunity for leaders to discuss practical strategies for implementing these values in their respective spaces, and to encourage those in West College to become better citizens inside and outside the university.
A conversation on social justice
The dialogue was facilitated by Geraldine Lengau, Senior Officer in the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice at the UFS. Lengau touched on several aspects pertaining to the topic of discussion. Firstly, she allowed the audience to give their definition of social justice, especially as students within the institution. In addition, she went on to talk to the audience about sexual assault in the context of social justice. In this instance, Lengau gauged whether the students knew which processes to follow in the event of a sexual assault incident, and whether they were acquainted with the UFS Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Sexual Violence Policy. Furthermore, the audience was given the opportunity to outline what social justice looks like to them in the spaces they occupy, including in their respective faculties, the sports they play, and the leadership structures they form part of. “I was encouraged to see that students take their right to a socially just university in very high regard, and that they were willing to break it down from what Vision 130 proposes, in order to align it with their common understanding,” said Lengau.
As the dialogue concluded, the audience signed a pledge committing to uphold the values of Vision 130. According to Reina, “The pledge represents a promise to take concrete steps towards fostering an inclusive and equitable campus culture. By signing the pledge, the leaders are not only agreeing to embody these principles in their leadership roles but are also holding themselves accountable to their peers and the broader university community.”
The Shepherd Centre celebrates decade of empowering spiritual leaders
2016-08-01
The Shepherd Centre functions under the auspices of the Faculty of Theology at the University of the Free State (UFS), and arose out of a need for non-denominational adult-learning programmes for those actively involved in the ministry. According to the director, Dr Gerhard Botha, the centre came into being to assist spiritual leaders: “The Shepherd Centre takes on the shepherding responsibility for spiritual leaders of all Christian churches.”
Planning started in 2005, when the need was identified for foundation-phase education in the wider church community. Dr Botha was appointed as the director of the centre in 2006, and given the task of compiling a suitable curriculum. The aim of the curriculum is to enable spiritual leaders to provide current interpretations of scripture for a modern society. From the first handful of students a decade ago, The Shepherd Centre has grown by mid-2016 to 300 adult learners enrolled in the short learning programmes, many of which are catered for at the satellite sites in Kimberley, Koffiefontein, Kroonstad, Qwaqwa/Kestell, Thaba Nchu, Zeerust, and the South Campus of the UFS.
This initiative has extended its reach even further than the boundaries of the Free State. In 2014, Dr Botha and Prof Fanie Snyman, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, visited Ethiopia, and signed an agreement of mutual collaboration with the Full Gospel Church there. In addition, a Shepherds4Africa programme is involved in Christian communities and with Christian religious leaders in several other countries, providing training opportunities to various indigenous churches, with the greater vision of spreading the Word to all countries in Africa and beyond. Dr Botha states that their hope is to provide the tools needed in order to make the community of faith as healthy so as to build its moral fibre.