Jaaroorsig - University of the Free State

ecoming. As applied to the UFS, itmeans, firstly, becoming a truly SouthAfrican university of excellence, equityand innovation; and, secondly, becominga high-quality, equitable, non-racial,non-sexist, multicultural, multilingualuniversity and place of scholarship —for South Africa and Africa.This definition of transformationcovers many dimensions and aspects ofa university, including academic focusand practice, institutional culture, staffand student affairs, financial matters,community engagement, governanceand management, and more.The UFS has achieved much in termsof transformation, and is recognised as aleader in transformation in South Africa.At least three phases can be distinguishedin its transformation history.The first transformation phase tookplace in the 1990s with the introductionof parallel-medium teaching, majorchanges in the student demography andthe first appointments of senior blackmanagers.The second phase, starting in the late1990s, encompassed academic andresearch revitalisation in tandem withthe Financial Turnaround Strategy,growth in student numbers, continuedchange in the student profile and studentleadership structures, appointmentof staff from the designated groups,more inclusive management structures,and changes in the institutional culture.The third phase was characterised bythe incorporation of the Qwaqwa andVista Bloemfontein campuses in 2003and 2004, significant changes in staffcomposition in academic and supportservice departments, accompanied bythe regular appointment of senior blackand female managers, further changes ininstitutional culture, and a pioneeringapproach to community service learningand research.Said Prof. Fourie: “The UFS has handledthe first phases of transformation withdistinction, commitment and responsibility.It has shown remarkable maturityand robustness. But much more needs tobe done.“My conviction is that, for the UFS tocontinue on its chosen path of excellence,equity and innovation, of becominga great and robust university, it mustcontinue to change, whilst all the timeremaining true to its intrinsic nature as auniversity and place of scholarship.Continued relevance and excellencerequire continuing adjustment to changingcircumstances.”The need for sustaining changecomes from several fronts. The internationalhigher education environmentand landscape are changing as fast asever, and the UFS has to continue toadapt to that. The need for universitiesto adopt entrepreneurial and innovativeapproaches to survive as strong centresof scholarship, has not diminished.The new national higher educatonlandscape has changed in many ways,and will continue to change. This presentsnew challenges and opportunities.Financial constraints by government willhamper the development of universitiesthat have failed to become financiallymore independent. Expectations in political,community and business circles arethat universities should continue tochange and transform — and at a fasterpace. There is increasing impatiencewith the pace of transformation at universities.“We must therefore continue totransform and re-engineer the UFS into ahighly proactive form. We must cultivatean ingrained habit of change andBold stepsare necessaryto takethe UFS toa newphase.5