“Good is the enemy of Great” these were the words that Prof. Driekie Hay used in her welcoming speech at the official opening ceremony of the University of the Free State. She expressed her shared sentiments wit h Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice Chancellor of UFS, that in a few years time, the UFS should be one of the greatest internationally recognised universities in the world. When he took to the stage, Jansen reiterated Hay’s statement adding that “We want to be great. This is the year in which our staff and students’ lives will change and this university will change as we take the first steps in making the leap from good to great.”
For such an official function the mood was quite relaxed. When it was time to give his speech, Jansen took off his robe and blazer, loosened his tie and had every one laughing and feeling optimistic as he read out letters of praise (for the university staff) written by parents and first year students who were impressed by the service rendered by some UFS personnel.
Jansen used this opportunity to encourage UFS personnel and get them enthusiastic about the direction in which he hopes to lead the university. He commended the Student Representative Council (SRC) under the leadership of Moses Masitha for their achievements thus far. He applauded the SRC for being good role models for first year students by appearing as a united, integrated front at official first year gatherings. While he congratulated the staff on the good work that they have been doing, Jansen also expressed concern at the level of customer services at this institution and said that the university should invest in providing the most efficient and friendly service to its students.
The Vice Rector also informed those in attendence of his intentions to make class attendence complusory for every student across all faculties. However, he acknowledged that in order for this to happen, the university would have to ensure that quality professors who give lectures of a high standard are placed in those lecture halls in order to make it worthwhile for the students to attend classes. He also spoke of improving the infrastructure and equipment used and indicated that bigger lecture halls need to be built as limited space is one of the contributing factors of poor class attendence.
In his closing statements Jansen further emphasised that he still intended to market the UFS in such a way that it attracts the best students from the most promising schools to apply for their studies here.
Once the formalities were out of the way, the audience was treated to an item by the now world renowned UFS choir who ended the event with an emotion filled rendition of the national anthem. The morning ended with a braai outside the Centenary Hall. The accademic year has officially begun.
By Kefiloe Manthata |