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Debate series on Broadening Curricula tackles decolonisation in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences

09 June 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Tshepo Tsotetsi

Debaters from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences’ 2025 Broadening Curricula Debate.

In an engaging and thought-provoking session, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the University of the Free State hosted its Broadening Curricula Faculty Debate Series under the motion: The current Economic and Management Sciences curricula, pedagogical approaches, and research endeavours perpetuate colonial legacies. Held on the Bloemfontein Campus on 3 June 2025, the debate brought together academics and, for the first time, students – making space for dynamic, intergenerational dialogue on the transformation of teaching and learning in higher education.

Creating space for critical pedagogical reflection

Annari Muller, manager of Teaching and Learning Manager in the faculty, said the aim was to provide a platform for constructive, sometimes challenging, engagement. “We create a platform for staff to debate these things and ultimately inform our practice, policy, pedagogy, and what we teach and how we teach,” she said.

For the first time, students were formally included in the debating teams, following feedback from previous events. “It is very important to include student perspectives as well,” Muller noted. “We want to continue these discussions, take them forward into our research practices and learning and teaching committees, where we will dissect them and act on the next step.”

This inclusion added new layers to the debate. Elda Nhalunga responsible for master’s student administration, said the topic immediately resonated with her. “When I saw decolonisation and curriculum in one motion, I found it very interesting and decided that this was something I wanted to be part of. I also wanted to hear what other scholars were saying.” She added: “Through these small initiatives, we are working towards transformation. And it’s important that students be there so that their voices are heard.”

Towards a more inclusive and just Academic Project

Prof Frans Prinsloo, Vice-Dean for Learning and Teaching, Innovation and Digitalisation, believes that debates of this nature play a vital role in shaping inclusive academic spaces. “Debates, such as the one on decolonisation, enable us to engage with and reflect deeply on complex issues and to challenge existing assumptions. Through this process, the faculty can enhance its teaching practices and curriculum development.”

According to Prof Prinsloo, this kind of engagement is just the beginning. “The debate is but the start of the faculty’s plan to ensure that its Academic Project is decolonised. Research is currently in process to gather perceptions of staff and students on the topic. This research will drive action.”

Lukhanyo Lekeno, Economics master’s student, echoed this sentiment, calling the topic timely and essential. “We’re living in a world where there are certain standards and norms that, in most cases, exclude and marginalise people,” he said. “When we start having conversations about decoloniality, we are taking a step closer to actually dismantling certain legacies and ideologies that keep people constrained within a mindset.” Lekeno encouraged others to engage in such conversations, describing it as an ‘exchange of knowledge, systems, and perspectives’, which contributes to both personal growth and academic transformation.

Previous sessions in the series, such as the 2024 debate on socio-environmental sustainability, have prompted internal curriculum reviews, underscoring the faculty’s intention to link dialogue with institutional reflection.

News Archive

SRC elections of our Bloemfontein Campus

2011-07-26

The Student Council elections of our university at the Bloemfontein Campus will take place on 29 and 30 August 2011. These official election dates were announced by Mr Rudi Buys, Dean: Student Affairs, on 25 July 2011.

Nominations open on Wednesday, 27 July 2011 and the elections, which are constituted according to the SRC Constitution, shall be handled by the Independent Electoral Agency, which shall be instituted by the SRC Constitution with this in view.

“The elections introduce a new era in student leadership and governance, because student representation will now constituted in such a way that affords the majority of students the opportunity to vote directly for their representatives. Senior leadership structures are extended in the new Constitution, in order to allow more students to hold senior positions,” states Mr Buys.

The SRC elections follow on the approval of a new Constitution that was accepted by our Council on 3 June 2011.

The Constitution was drafted over a period of eight months by the Broad Student Transformation Forum (BSTF), consisting of students, in order to design a new dispensation in student structures. The BSTF, which decided on new models of student representation in collaboration with independent facilitators, consists of more than 70 student organisations and residences. The changes to the Constitution were decided on and accepted by the BSTF, after recommendations from four student study groups, which investigated student leadership and governance in depth, at national as well as international level, were taken into account. The study groups visited nine (9) other SA universities, as well as investigated student representation at internationally renowned universities like Cornell, Yale and Stanford in the United States of America.

Ms Modieyi Motholo, Chairperson of the Interim Student Committee, says that she is very proud of what the students have achieved with the new Constitution. “I wish to accord recognition to all the students who lead the process for all their hard work. Constitutional revision is a strenuous process and it is nothing short of a miracle that the students could not only reconstruct the Constitution, but also have it accepted in less than a year.”

The important changes include, amongst others:

Candidates no longer stand on behalf of parties in the elections, but as independent candidates for 10 predetermined portfolios for which students can vote directly;
Students also directly vote for a President and a Vice-President;
Nine (9) SRC members serve ex-officio as SRC members by virtue of being chairpersons of nine additional student councils established by the Constitution. Amongst others, the councils include a postgraduate student council, an international student council, a student media council and a student academic affairs council;
More stringent eligibility requirements are set for candidates, namely that students who wish to run in the elections has to, amongst others, sustain an academic average of more than 60%, and hold proven student leadership experience (which could be verified by the Independent Electoral Agency).

“With the SRC elections, students have the opportunity to firmly entrench the changes in student governance on which they have decided on by themselves firmly, as a sustainable model for democracy at our Bloemfontein Campus. It speaks volumes that the number of leadership positions for which candidates can make themselves available, in essence has been increased by the number of additional student sub-councils from 21 to 67, because it brings about much more direct representation for different students across the campus,” says Mr Buys.

“I firmly believe that the upcoming student council elections will be a success,” says Motholo. “I wish the students, who are prepared to sacrifice a year of their lives in service of the student community as a member of the SRC, all of the best.”

The Qwaqwa Campus’ election schedule shall be announced within the next week, as well as the date of the institution of the Central Student Council (CSC).

Media Release
26 July 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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