University of Free State vice chancellor Professor Jonathan Jansen will step down from his post at the end of August to take up an invitation
as a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies at Stanford University in the
United States.
Judge
Ian van der Merwe, chairperson of the university council, said the fellowship which was awarded to Jansen earlier this year was an opportunity for him to
further advance his career as an internationally renowned academic in
education.
“Professor
Jansen’s departure is a great loss for the university, but the council accepts
his decision to step down and pursue his academic career as well as other
opportunities.”
He
said the council was grateful for the vision and the inspirational leadership
that Jansen provided during his tenure at the UFS.
“He
has led the university through difficult and complex times – from after the
Reitz incident up until the recent student protest actions. He brought
stability and respect for the university – nationally as well as
internationally,” Van der Merwe said.
He added that Jansen was instrumental in the improvement of student
success and graduation rates, the increase in the percentage of academic staff
with doctoral qualifications, the increase in research outputs, the growth in
staff diversity, and the growth in third-stream income.
He
said that Jansen had played a significant part in developing the UFS as a place
where the embrace of diversity and the integration of the university provided a
backdrop for academic excellence.
“Under
his leadership, the UFS made great strides in fulfilling its social
responsibility to serve the community. He was the right leader at the right
time for the university,” he said.
Professor
Jansen was appointed as vice-chancellor July 1, 2009, and his term of office
was extended for another five years by the council on 1 July 2014.
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