Students Affairs and Support Services at UNISA:

An International US Study Tour to South Africa – 24 May 2007

By Unisa’s Dean of Students; Mrs Cora Njoli Motale

Preamble

The Dean of Students KPA’s include;

- Providing strategic and operational leadership

- Facilitating change and transformation

- Joint responsibility for leadership processes

- Ensure the 2007 Operational Plan administration

Figure1: Executive Management Structure

Vice Chancellor:Prof NB Pityana

Pro Vice Chancellor:Prof NR Mathabe

VC ClusterAssistant Principal:Prof DH Van Wyk

Special Advisor ODL:Prof HA Louw

Vice Principal:Operations

Prof BJ Erasmus

Vice Principal: StrategyPlanning and Partnership

Prof N Baijnath

Vice Principal: Finance and university

Estates: Prof JE Kleynhans

PVC Cluster

Vice principal: Academic and Research: Prof MC mare

DVC and Vice Principal: Student Affairs and Learner Support: Prof DL Mosoma

Academic Registrar: Prof L Molamu

Figure 2 :Dean of Students Structure

DVC and Vice Principal: Student Affairs and

Learner Support: Prof DL Mosoma

Executive Director:Dean of Students

Director: Advocacy and Resource centre for

Students with Disabilities

(ARCSWiD)

Director: Financial Aid Service

(FAB)

Director: StudentAffairs and Services

(SAS)

The Office of the Dean of Students subscribes and aligns its operational

goals to the strategic objectives of Unisa as articulated by both the Pro-

Vice Chancellors' and the Learner Support and Student Affairs

Portfolio's policy framework. Creating a nurturing environment to

promote student well-being, to foster a sense of belonging to Unisa.

Operational services include the following;

– Servicing the diverse student population by focusing on developmental

programmes and a range of support services. We are committed to

providing a student voice through a democratically elected regional and

National Student Representative Council (NSRC)

Directorates which globally respond to the psychosocial needs of registered and to a limited extent potential students.

– The Financial Aid Bureau

– Student Affairs and Services

– Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities

Key Focus Areas set for 2007:

• Service excellence and Customer Care• A quality Culture in the Department• The Department’s contribution to Excellence

in Open and Distance Learning

1. FINANCIAL AID BUREAU

Specific Responsibility Area

The Financial Aid Bureau (FAB) specifically focuses on the effective administration and facilitation of financial assistance to Unisa’s undergraduate and postgraduate students.

.

FAB provide the following services:

• Facilitates the implementation of the Policy on Financial Aid.

• Liaise with the Foundation

• Liaise with donors

• Act as an intermediate between donors and students

• Process applications for financial assistance

• To facilitate access of academic essentials

• To train Unisa Regional staff

2. STUDENT AFFAIRS AND SERVICES

sITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

Question Tasks to be performed

1. What are we trying to do? •Student Leadership Training and development•Student governance development (constitution, policies, audit facilitation, conflict management, procedures,) •Special focus on Women in Student Leadership•Social development interventions that include HIV/AIDS, Community outreach, and recreation support)•Graduate development including placement support, skills development, entrepreneurship, work-study support, etc)

Question Tasks to be performed

2. Why are we trying to do it? This intervention is necessary to comply with Unisa Vision 2015 objective 6.6 – which focuses on creating a nurturing environment to make Unisa students feel welcomed, thrive on non academic development, and being inspired to want to achieve more from their non academic life enhancing

experiences

3. Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students With Disabilities

•Facilitates the implementation of the Policy on Students with Disabilities;

•Facilitate the creation of an enabling and caring teaching and learning environment;

•Provide study material in alternative formats for students with disabilities;

•Sensitise the UNISA community on disability;

• Develop and implement an effective advocacy and communication strategy on disability;

• Develop and implement an effective recruitment strategy with regard to students with disabilities;

• Develop and maintain a database of students with disabilities and track their progress; and

• Establish effective networks with community-based organisations that focus on people with disabilities.

Identified gaps

• Not all study guides have been uploaded onto the system, with the result that there are often delays in obtaining study guides in electronic format for the production of material in braille.

• Registration documents are often not forwarded timeously to the Centre, resulting in delays in the delivery of services to students.

• Lack of follow-up with regard to queries from students.

• Follow-up activities not always recorded.

• Lack of trained staff in the regions to provide services to students with disabilities.

• The absence of Service Level Agreements with relevant roleplayers.

• Insufficient focus on community development activities

PROFILE OF STUDENTS REGISTERED AT UNISA AS ON 30 MARCH 2007 (HEADCOUNT)

• Race

• Gender

• Age groupings

• Regions

• Occupations

• Disabilities

• Countries

Implications for Learner Support Services

Age Groupings93 336 of our students are less than 25 years old, which means they need more guidance and motivation.

RegionsIn each region enrolment is indicated in terms of towns. This information is crucial for the regional management in allocation of resources.

OccupationsOf special importance in this category is the number of full-time students at UNISA which is 37 431.

DisabilitiesThis category is important because it spells out different disabilities and helps the University to provide appropriate support services.

CountriesUNISA is offering services to most countries in Africa, which is in keeping with its vision – The African University in service of humanity. Given enrolments in countries, such as Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Kenya, some form of learner support through collaboration with local institutions is essential.

UNISA’s presence in America, Asia, Europe and Australia make it an important global player.

SRC StructureNational Executive Committee(NEC), Composition:President

• Deputy President (internal)

• Deputy President (external)

• Secretary General

• Deputy Secretary General

• Treasurer General

• Media and Training Officer

• Education and Training Officer

• Gender Officer

• Projects Coordinator

• Sports and Cultural Officer

• International Affairs Officer

National Working Committee Composition• President• Deputy President (Internal)• Deputy President (External)• Secretary General• Deputy Secretary General and• Treasurer.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES WITHIN STUDENT AFFAIRS

Final population of structures by HR – Team Building Strategies on Hold!

Corporate Space Problem – Learner Support Programmes

Student’ Rights and Responsibilities Charter – A student voice!

Women in Student Leadership (WISL) – programme…. Implementation

Customer Care – “ Beyond the Merger Blues” – Dr M Phosa, Chaiperson of Council: Official opening of 2007 Academic Year

Conclusion

“ Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness, this is the judgement, Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”

Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jnr.Camagu!