The University of the Free-State has appointed Prof. Puleng Lenka-Bula, Dean of Student Affairs at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), for the position of Vice-Rector: Institutional Change, Student Affairs, and Community Engagement at the University of the Free State (UFS) as from 1 May 2018.
Prior to her appointment as Dean of Student Affairs at Wits on in March 2016, she was a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto Emmanuel College in 2009. She worked at the University of South Africa (Unisa) as an Associate Professor of Ethics, and as Dean of Students at the same university from 2014 to 2016. From 2011 to 2014, she worked as Director and Adviser in the office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, Prof. Mandlenkosi Makhanya.
According to a media release from the UFS, Prof. Lenka-Bula has a list of degrees behind her name. She obtained a Master’s in Theological Studies with specialisation in Ethics (MTs-Ethics) from St Andrew’s College in Saskatoon – Saskatchewan, Canada. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the National University of Lesotho, majoring in English, Theology, and Education. Bula also holds a Doctoral Degree in Ethics of Politics, Economy and Ecology (Social Ethics) from Unisa.
“Prof Lenka-Bula’s holistic experiences within the university on student, staff and executive levels, are an advantage in rethinking higher education in the current conjuncture.’’said Prof. Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.
Her vision for the portfolio of Vice-Rector is to lead with courage, excellence and with the requisite need to collaboratively drive the UFS as a university of choice and excellence for the majority of global citizens who want to pursue their knowledge.
“I look forward to working with Prof. Lenka-Bula, as she will play a vital role in steering the university’s Institutional Transformation Plan (ITP) and the newly formed Institutional Multi-stakeholder Group,” said Petersen.
Zilke Prinsloo
