Free State University to resume academic activities after student protests

Academic activities are set to resume at the University of the Free State (UFS), following two weeks of disruptions due to student protests.

Staff and students will return to campus in phases, starting on Monday.

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The protests erupted after management introduced a new policy, stating that students with outstanding fees would not be allowed to register for the 2026 academic year.

But following engagements between student representatives and management, the university has agreed to delay implementing the policy for two years.

The university’s Qwaqwa campus will reopen this week after it was shut down due to a building being vandalised and set alight during the exam period.

Students who live in campus residences will be allowed to return from Wednesday.

The university has revised the 2025 academic calendar to ensure the year can still be completed, with final exams now set to begin on 10 November of the third.

However, spokesperson Lacea Loader said this excludes students in the Faculty of Health Sciences, who will still begin writing on 3 November to meet their graduation deadlines in December.

“Information to support the continuation and completion of lectures and assessments will be communicated by the respective lecturers.”

The university said it expects full operations on campus to resume by Thursday.