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UFS on track to revolutionise student success and boost sustainability

14 August 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe and the Centre for Teaching and Learning | Photo Supplied

CTL — From the left: Dr Jenny Glennie (SAIDE), Gugu Khanye (Director: Student Success – UFS), Prof Matete Madiba (Deputy Vice-Chancellor – UWC), Prof Francois Strydom (UFS Siyaphumelela Lead), and Prof Nthabiseng Ogude (Siyaphumelela Institutional Coach) at the 2025 Siyaphumelela Conference. The group played a key role in advancing conversations around student success, collaboration, and innovation in higher education.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is advancing a transformative approach to student success that positions it to become a national leader in enhancing social mobility. This vision was underscored at the 2025 Siyaphumelela Conference, where the university shared details of its groundbreaking collaboration with the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) at Georgia State University (GSU) in the United States.

Prof Francois Strydom, Senior Director: Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL), explained that the initiative builds on lessons from GSU’s remarkable achievements. “The success of Georgia State University has been truly inspiring,” he said. “The NISS approach, which focuses on using data to dismantle systemic barriers and improve graduation rates, has transformed outcomes for a predominantly low-income and diverse student body. By contextualising this data-driven model for our environment, the UFS is proud to be the first university on the African continent to implement it.”

Building on proven success

GSU’s success in eliminating equity gaps in retention and completion among different racial groups was achieved through a redesign of its support structures and processes. Drawing on its own established track record of narrowing equity gaps in success rates, the UFS aims to replicate these outcomes in a way that is tailored to its unique context.

At the conference, the UFS Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) launched a new national report on student engagement trends and presented papers on a range of topics. These included innovative strategies for improving performance in high-priority modules, the use of predictive analytics to provide proactive student support, and research into gender differences in academic performance and class attendance in a post-COVID world.

Prof Strydom also led an exploratory panel discussion on strengthening collaboration between universities, business, and philanthropy to drive large-scale student success initiatives. “By facilitating a deeper understanding between philanthropic organisations, businesses, and universities, we can develop innovative and impactful approaches to funding and student support,” he said.

Driving innovation and sustainability

The UFS’ contributions at the conference were further reinforced by institutional projects focused on the evidence-based integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into student learning and success. These initiatives reflect a clear commitment to transformation that is both research-led and data-driven.

Looking ahead, Prof Strydom emphasised the opportunity before the institution: “We have a unique opportunity to leverage the lessons learnt from our student success initiatives to guide further research, deploy technology in ways that optimise human connection, and help create responsible societal futures while contributing to the sustainability of our university.”

News Archive

Kovsiesport - Results

2009-03-09

Varsity Cup: Shimlas (39) vs Tuks (22) - 2 March 2009
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

1. Krieket:

UV 1 vs Polisie 2

UV 1 maak 216/8 en Polisie 2 87/10

UV wen met 129 lopies

Peshawars vs Rocklands

Rocklands 65/10 en Peshawars kry 67/1

Peshawars wen met 9 paaltjies

2. Hokkie

Wedstryde gespeel op Saterdag – 28/02/09

Kovsie mans vs Tuks
Verloor 0 – 3

Kovsies dames vs Tuks
Verloor 4 – 0

3. Rugby

Wedstryde gespeel op 02/03/09

Shimlas vs Pukke
Wen 39 – 22

Armentum vs Amajuba (Maties)
Wen 61 – 19

4. Atletiek

2 S.A Atlete het deelgeneem aan die Southern Region Cross Country
Championships in Mauritius op 28/02/09 naamlik:

Windy Jonas in die Mans 8km (Tyd – 25:35)
Boy Soke in die Seniors 12km (Tyd – 35:52)

4. Tennis

Het proewe gehad oor die naweek en die volgende spelers is in die onderskeie spanne
opgeneem.

Mans:                                                                 Dames:

1. Reon Henning                                        1. Elrien de Villiers
2. Duke Munro                                          2. Rensia Henning
3. Willem Vorster                                      3. Christine Keyser
4. Robert Kot                                            4. Nicola Dormehl
5. Willem Steenkamp                                 5. Jeanne Du Plessis
6. HB Steyn                                              6. Elizna Barnard
7. Wynand Schoeman                                7. Marna Louw
8. De Villiers Koster                                  8. Belinda Strydom
9. PW Holtzhausen                                    9. Jolene Botha
10.Divan Olivier                                         10.Sumandi Nel
11.Hendri Steyn                                         11.Bernadette du Toit
12.Ruan Olivier                                          12.PETRO TAUTE
13.Renier Van Vreden                                13.Nicolene Gordon
14.Deon Stander                                        14.Lianie Oberholster
15.Pieter Burger                                         15.Melanie Patrick
16.Willie Harber                                         16.Elria Munro
17.Conrad Dormehl                                    17.Sunelle Van Vuuren
18.Gideon Roux                                         18.Some Olivier
19.Andries Swart                                       19.Lize Venter
20.Schoeman Serfontein
21.Marthinus Ras
22.Lyndon V/D Haer
23.Johan Scherrer
24.Phillip Smit
25.Adriaan Oosthuizen
26.Gerhard Olivier
27.Wessel Wessels
28.Pieter Van Rooyen
29.Pierre Lombaard
30.Alex Marais
31.Jacques Krause

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