EXPRESS:UFS to consider students’ memorandum
Aug 01 2007 02:07:45:730PM  - (SA)  

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The University of the Free State (UFS) ma-nagement says consideration will be given to the memorandum handed to management by representatives of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+).

The party’s student wing presented a me-morandum to the university’s management last Wednesday.

The memorandum contains grievances about the student hostel integration at the main campus in Bloemfontein.

The UFS recently announced that it would integrate the students residences at the main campus in Bloemfontein in 2008 in an effort to deal with racial division.

According to UFS’ vice-rector: student affairs, Dr Ezekiel Moraka, the university’s management will thoroughly discuss the memorandum at their next meeting.

In a statement issued to the media, Moraka said the point of departure of the new guidelines is “for students to learn to embrace diversity and to develop an appreciation for the humanity of their fellow students”.

As far as consultation is concerned, Moraka said: “The affected students and student leaders were consulted.

“This includes groups such as the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the main campus, residence primes, residence heads and student organisations such as the Freedom Front Plus Kovsies and South African Students Congress.”

“It nevertheless seems that there is still no agreement on this matter and the UFS ma-nagement will give attention to this,” said Moraka.

Moraka’s response thus rejected allegations that no proper consultation with student stakeholders was made regarding the students residences integration.

Regarding the integration of residences, Moraka said the university’s management was  convinced  that  this   decision  “is  in  the educational and career interest of the students”.

“The management would not like to exclude interest groups.”

“Therefore students, alumni and other interest groups can still make an input to make a success of the implementation of the guidelines,” Moraka states.

Meanwhile, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) said that it had since written a letter to UFS vice-chancellor Prof. Frederick Fourie on transformation.

The ACDP in the Free State indicated it had written a letter to Fourie, requesting that men and women’s hostels for students wishing to live an outspoken Christian lifestyle be considered.

The party has also expressed concerns on allegations from several sources that consultation had not been completed when the transformation decisions were taken, or that input that had been given, was not reflected in the decisions.

Casper Nordier, Member of Parliament and leader of the ACDP in the province, said they had not yet received a direct response from the UFS management “hence a protest by FF+ representatives regar-ding the decision on integration”.

The memorandum was handed over to the university management after a protest march by dissatisfied students.

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