Takalani Rambau and Maryla Bialobrzeska

The key role played by the university executive leadership in embedding a culture of student success in the university was one of the common themes that emerged from the presentations made by Deputy Vice Chancellors (DVC’s) during the virtual Siyaphumelela Student Success in Higher Education Conference hosted by Saide in June 2021.

Other themes emerging from the DVC’s presentations included, the importance of using data to drive an evidenced-based approach to designing student success interventions; and the enhanced impact of promoting an integrated approach to student success interventions.

Executive leadership as key to achieving student success

The leadership and support of the university executive is key to the effective implementation of Student Success initiatives. This message came through unequivocally as the DVCs from five Siyaphumelela partner universities showcased their student support interventions at the conference. Their presentations all point to the fact that the involvement of institutional leadership facilitates the systematic integration and institutionalisation of a holistic approach to student support.

Planned integration of student support work being undertaken across various units and structures within each university to maximise the efficacy of student success initiatives was a dominant and recurring theme.

      

“Enabling historically disadvantaged students, not only to access higher education but to enjoy the benefits of quality education and success, is one of the most pressing social justice issues in South Africa,” (Professor Ruksana Osman, DVC: Academic, Wits).

At the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Professor Osman, took the lead in setting up a high level cross cutting Student Success Committee. The committee has ensured that student success is part of the Wits institutional agenda at the highest levels of governance. The work of the Student Success Committee is a standing agenda item on the Senate Teaching and Learning subcommittee chaired by Professor Osman.

While at Durban University of Technology (DUT), Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, DVC, Teaching and Learning, noted that the Siyaphumelela student success initiative is aligned to, and embedded in, the DUT institutional strategic plan and vision - ENVISION2030.

Overall, the importance of leadership championing student success and integration of such interventions is well articulated by Professor Foxcroft, DVC: Teaching and Learning at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) when she states that, it is necessary for “the whole university to see student success as a priority and as a key factor in institutional performance.”

Knowing and using institutional data to drive student success

All five DVCs also highlighted the important role played by collecting, analysing and using data to drive institutional decisions regarding student success interventions.

         

The use of data analytics through a Risk Analysis and Detection to Assist and Retain students (RADAR) system successfully used to support student success, was described by Professor Cheryl Foxcroft. She went on to share how NMU negotiated the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic during the 2020 lock down by using the RADAR system to support evidence based decision making and planning. This enabled the institution to track students in different learning pathways; to adapt and adjust plans and learning environment; and to assist with targeting necessary academic performance support.

The benefits of implementing the student success support practices and approaches was demonstrated in the 2020 improved institutional performance results. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, NMU attained 84% student course pass rate. This was 5 - 6% higher than in 2019 and resulted in a larger number of students graduating in 2020 than had been the case in 2019.

          

As a chair of the Data Analytics Student Success Committee, Professor Lis Lange, DVC: Teaching and Learning at the University of Cape Town (UCT) stressed UCT’s commitment to using data analytics for identifying student challenges and for designing appropriate support to close achievement gaps and strengthen students’ performance.

Strengthening impact by enabling integration of student success interventions

While the range of student support services at UCT is comprehensive, the Student Success Committee realised that it was siloed and difficult to navigate, particularly for a new student. The devolved nature of student support often meant multiple queries to multiple departments and students constantly being referred to “someone else”. The switch to emergency remote teaching during the Covid-19 lockdown, exacerbated this problem. The focus of the student success team championed by the Siyaphumelela Student Success Project Manager, Riashna Sithaldeen, has been on designing an integrated approach that underpins all development of student success interventions. A key innovation emanating from the new integrated approach, was the implementation of a new service for central advising and referral, UCT CARES, that is as a single point of contact into the greater student support network at UCT.

           

Professor Vivienne Lawack, from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) also stressed the importance of breaking down of operational silos by intentionally working across institutional units.

The key themes highlighted in the presentations made by the DVCs of the Siyaphumelela Network Partner universities serve to emphasise the value of executive leadership in championing student success planning and interventions. The expanded use of evidence-based decision making to increase student attainment and integration of various student success interventions outlined in the DVC’s presentations support the attainment of diminished racial equity gaps, thereby contributing to positive changes within the South African Higher Education system as a whole.