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09 September 2024 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
2024 - 2025 CSRC elections
The UFS’s recent pioneering of live election results during the 2024/2025 CSRC elections drove unprecedented student engagement.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has proven its commitment to innovation and student engagement with the recent 2024/2025 Campus Student Representative Council (CSRC) elections, which were held online and featured real-time results projection across all three campuses. The elections, held from 20 to 22 August 2024, marked a significant milestone for the institution, setting a precedent in the national higher education landscape.

Dr Grey Magaiza, Chairperson of the UFS Elections Logistics Committee (ELC), provided insight into the planning process that went into making the elections a success: “Planning for an institutional CSRC election is a very demanding process,” he explained. “Multiple stakeholders have to be appraised of the project, as it has multiple implications for the institution. The voting is the last phase in a long list of actions that a capable team must support.”

One of the most notable aspects of this year’s elections was the introduction of real-time results, a first for any institution in South Africa. Despite the challenges that came with being pioneers in this area, the ELC managed to overcome them through rigorous scenario planning and extensive negotiations. “This is a huge milestone, but it did not come without its own challenges,” Dr Magaiza said. “We had to engage in multiple negotiations with numerous process owners. The debates that ensued only sharpened our ability to observe potential blind spots.”

Students embrace live voting

The transition from traditional online voting to a system with live results was met with enthusiasm by the student body. “Students have always been for online elections. The majority of students we talked to loved the live results format,” Dr Magaiza said. The decision to share the live results link with the entire student body, despite initial requests for it to be limited to party agents, was particularly well-received, further enhancing transparency and engagement.

Security and accuracy were also top priorities for the ELC, with advanced IT processes in place to ensure a seamless voting experience. Each student was provided with a unique one-time PIN (OTP) sent to both their UFS email and cellphone, and the system was designed to cater to the specific needs of each campus.

The live results projection, which updated every five minutes, not only drove massive voter turnout across all campuses but also fostered a more dynamic and engaging election atmosphere. “The turnout was massive across all three campuses, surpassing the previous year’s figures,” Dr Magaiza said.

Reflecting on the success of the elections, Dr Magaiza emphasised the importance of collaboration and preparation. He also expressed confidence that the UFS model could serve as an example for other institutions in South Africa. “Live results enhance transparency and acceptance of the election results. As UFS, we have not had a single objection with regards to the first-past-the-post election results,” he concluded.

The 2024/2025 CSRC Elections at the UFS have not only set a new standard within the university, but have also highlighted the potential for innovation in student governance across the country.

News Archive

Names are not enough: a molecular-based information system is the answer
2016-06-03

Description: Department of Plant Sciences staff Tags: Department of Plant Sciences staff

Prof Wijnand Swart (left) from the Department of
Plant Sciences at the UFS and Prof Pedro Crous
from the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS),
in the Netherlands.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

South Africa is the second-largest exporter of citrus in the world, producing 60% of all citrus grown in the Southern Hemisphere. It exports more than 70 % of its citrus crop to the European Union and USA. Not being able to manage fungal pathogens effectively can have a serious impact on the global trade in not only citrus but also other food and fibre crops, such as bananas, coffee, and cacao.

The Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a public lecture by Prof Pedro W. Crous entitled “Fungal Pathogens Impact Trade in Food and Fibre: The Need to Move Beyond Linnaeus” on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Prof Crous is Director of the world’s largest fungal Biological Resource Centre, the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS), in the Netherlands. He is also one of the top mycologists in the world.

Since the topic of his lecture was very pertinent to food security and food safety worldwide, it was co-hosted by the Collaborative Consortium for Broadening the Food Base, a multi-institutional research programme managed by Prof Wijnand Swart in the Department of Plant Sciences.

Reconsider the manner in which pathogens are identified

Prof Crous stressed that, because international trade in products from agricultural crops will expand, the introduction of fungal pathogens to new regions will increase. “There is therefore an urgent need to reconsider the manner in which these pathogens are identified and treated,” he said.

According to Prof Crous, the older Linnaean system for naming living organisms cannot deal with future trade-related challenges involving pests and pathogens. A system, able to identify fungi based on their DNA and genetic coding, will equip scientists with the knowledge to know what they are dealing with, and whether it is a friendly or harmful fungus.

Description: The fungus, Botrytis cinerea Tags: The fungus, Botrytis cinerea

The fungus, Botrytis cinerea, cause of grey mould
disease in many fruit crops.
Photo: Prof Wijnand Swart

Embrace the molecular-based information system

Prof Crous said that, as a consequence, scientists must embrace new technologies, such as the molecular-based information system for fungi, in order to provide the required knowledge.

He presented this very exciting system which will govern the manner in which fungal pathogens linked to world trade are described. This system ensures that people from different countries will know with which pathogen they are dealing. Further, it will assist with the management of pathogens, ensuring that harmful pathogens do not spread from one country to another.

More about Prof Pedro Crous


Prof Crous is an Affiliated Professor at six international universities, including the UFS, where he is associated with the Department of Plant Sciences. He has initiated several major activities to facilitate global research on fungal biodiversity, and has published more than 600 scientific papers, many in high impact journals, and authored or edited more than 20 books.

 

 

Biography Prof Pedro Crous
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B


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