FOREWORD - UWC

i Office for Student Development Annual Report 2015

FOREWORD

As we draw the curtain on 2015, we are able to rejoice in our

achievements and make sense of our challenges. The reality is that our

new South Africa still has two worlds (developed and developing)

existing side by side in one city, one country and at our University. If we

operate only as if we are in the first world we will disregard the

abundance of untapped human talent of those living in the world

below and those in-between. We have an obligation to nurture all our students to reach greater

heights. UWC has chosen not to align itself with only one extreme but rather to make sense of both

worlds and craft our strategies to create conducive conditions for our teaching and learning, research

and community engagement. We pride ourselves in providing world class facilities for our students.

This Annual Report of the Office for Student Development focuses on our four Key Performance

Areas, namely, Careers Service, Student Orientation, Student Governance and Student Development

Projects. Careers Service is the anchor programme with the tagline ‘Interact - Network - Inspire’. As

students prepare for the world of work, we believe that their motivation to complete their studies is

elevated through the interactive career networking opportunities. At the start of their tertiary

journey, we expose first year students through the Student Orientation Programme to new

experiences for a diverse and inclusive society and to respect, embrace and celebrate all identities

that make up our campus community. Our SRC Election has again been declared free, fair and

credible and this is no mean achievement. The business development challenges which we marketed

to our students enabled them to apply theory to practice and develop employability skills.

Most of our students come from a racialised educational and residential background, and enter UWC

with this ‘baggage’ of stereotypes, experiences and perceptions. Our UWC story recognises that we

cannot change the past eighteen years of our students’ lives but help create their future.

As we build UWC into a place of quality where staff, students and communities can grow, we will

always nurture the hopes of our students for a better tomorrow by taking action through the

powerful weapon of knowledge. This is not a challenge for UWC only but for all.

Winston Middleton

Manager: Office for Student Development

ii Office for Student Development Annual Report 2015

CONTENTS

FOREWORD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I

CONTENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II

1. INTRODUCTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

2. PURPOSE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

3. KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

3.1 CAREERS SERVICE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

3.2 STUDENT ORIENTATION PROGRAMME ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

3.3 STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

3.4 STUDENT GOVERNANCE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2

4. STAFF ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3

5. ACHIEVEMENTS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

5.1 SOUTH AFRICAN GRADUATE EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION (SAGEA) ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

5.2 SAGEA AWARDS 2015 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

5.3 UNIVERSUM SOUTH AFRICAN STUDENT SURVEY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

5.4 STUDENT GOVERNANCE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6

5.5 NEW BRANDING ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

6. CAREERS SERVICE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

6.1 MARKETING ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

6.2 CAREERS XPO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

6.3 JOB SEARCH SKILLS PROJECT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

6.4 MOCK INTERVIEW PROJECT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11

6.5 GRADUATE RECRUITMENT PROJECT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13

6.6 CAREER UPDATE MAGAZINE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15

6.7 STUDENT ADVISING ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15

6.8 RESOURCE CENTRE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

6.9 JOB ADVERTISEMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16

6.10 LAW TOP ACHIEVERS PROJECT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

6.10.1 TOP 2015 (LLB II) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17

6.10.2 TOP 2014 (LLB III) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17

6.10.3 TOP 2013 (LLB IV) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18

6.10.4 SEPTEMBER VACATION PROGRAMMES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

7. STUDENT ORIENTATION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19

7.1 SELECTION AND TRAINING OF PEER FACILITATORS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 19

7.2 PRE-REGISTRATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20

7.3 REGISTRATION----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20

7.4 MANAGEMENT OF ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

7.5 EVALUATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

7.5.1 FEEDBACK FROM THE STUDENT ORIENTATION PROGRAMME SURVEY ------------------------------------------------ 21

8. STUDENT GOVERNANCE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

9. STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26

10. MEMBERSHIP OF ORGANISATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

11. MEMBERSHIP OF UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

12. MEETINGS ATTENDED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 27

iii Office for Student Development Annual Report 2015

13. WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES ATTENDED ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

14. PRESENTATIONS ATTENDED ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28

15. PRESENTATIONS DELIVERED ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28

16. MEETINGS WITH COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 28

17. MEETINGS WITH UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS/FACULTIES --------------------------------------------------------- 29

18. STAFF MEETINGS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29

19. STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29

20. CONCLUSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29

1 Office for Student Development Annual Report 2015

1. INTRODUCTION

Our Annual Report focuses on the activities of the Office for Student Development (OSD, Office)

for 2015. The programmes are aligned to and support the following UWC Institutional Operating

Plan (IOP) goals:

Goal 1: To strategically attract, retain and enable the development of students in line with

our vision and mission, paying particular attention to growth in business, natural and health

sciences and post-graduate studies.

OSD links strongest to this goal as it is our main driver.

Goal 2: To provide opportunities for an excellent teaching and learning experience that is

contextually responsive to the challenges of globalisation and a society in transition, and which

enhances students’ capacity as change agents.

OSD encourages the development of the Graduate Attributes.

Goal 4: To attract, retain, diversify and develop excellent talent to enable UWC to realize its vision

and achieve its strategic goals.

Our staff utilise the training and development opportunities offered by the University.

Goal 5: To develop a strong and diversified financial base to allow the University to make bold

moves when opportunities present themselves and provide a buffer against bad times.

OSD generates a third stream income to complement our Careers Service.

Goal 6: To strategically influence and develop the campus and surrounding areas, and develop and

maintain a modern coherent physical and ICT infrastructure.

We help shape the internal and external UWC profile through building relationships with

prospective graduate employers and alumni thus building the UWC brand.

Goal 8: To give effective leadership at all levels in order to maintain and develop a vibrant and

viable institution of high repute.

OSD responds to ‘call to agency and ownership’ through strategic alignment, informed and

planned interventions, benchmarking and accountability.

The IOP goals are part of our thinking and arsenal.


Engage with

Students

Team up with

Faculty champions

Collaborate with

services

2. PURPOSE

To build out and maintain vibrant student development programmes responsive to student

learning outcomes and meaningfully embedded in the University’s academic project. A key

strategy of our Office is to collaborate with pertinent student and support services and academic

role players.

3. KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

3.1 CAREERS SERVICE

Our Careers Service is the anchor programme with the tagline: Interact - Network - Inspire

Goals: To facilitate students’ preparation for the job search and entry into the world of work,

and thus their motivation to complete their studies.

To facilitate interactive career networking opportunities for students and faculty with prospective

employers.

3.2 STUDENT ORIENTATION PROGRAMME

Goal: To facilitate the induction of new first year, undergraduate students to the campus

environment and university life, and their registration, transition and development of supportive

peer networks thereby setting a foundation for retention strategies.

3.3 STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Goal: To provide creative and innovative learning opportunities through challenge-driven,

realistic, simulated business case-studies.

3.4 STUDENT GOVERNANCE

Goal: To facilitate effective student governance through a credible, free and fair election.


4. STAFF

From left to right:

Winston Middleton,

Lauren Franke,

Natalie Marrion and

Nazrana Parker

The appointment in February 2015 of a Student Intern

contributed greatly to the quantity, quality and efficiency of

our offerings. The value added by Ms Franke, a final year

Masters in Industrial Psychology student, positively

impacted on the following:

An additional 1000+ job opportunities were sourced

and advertised to our students

Consultation and student advising sessions almost

trebled

A ‘Gen Y’ look and feel to our communication media

Quicker turn-around time of requests

DVC: SDS

PROF. M. MOLETSANE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

PROGRAMMES

N MARRION

STUDENT

ASSISTANTS

COORDINATOR CAREERS SERVICE

N PARKER

STUDENT

INTERN

L FRANKE

OFFICE FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

MANAGER: W MIDDLETON


SAGEA Employer Survey 2015

(completed by 93 employers)

Re-imagining the Mock Interview Project

Expanding our career services into another academic department.

Ms Franke will be joining The Foschini Group Graduate Trainee Programme in January 2016.

Five student assistants helped with data capturing, administration, filing, marketing, typing,

reception & logistics.

5. ACHIEVEMENTS

5.1 SOUTH AFRICAN GRADUATE EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION (SAGEA)

The South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) conducts a national survey among

leading recruiters in South Africa to provide the latest market information to the graduate

recruitment industry. Since 2013 UWC Careers Service has featured consistently in the Top 7 of

“Best Careers Service” and “Best Career Fair” categories. In 2015 UWC Careers Service was

placed fourth and sixth, respectively.


We have established ourselves as an institution of choice when employers search for the top talent.

The supportive role of our academics and support and service staff in preparing our graduates for

the world of work is acknowledged. The success of our career services can be attributed to the

meticulous planning, and liaison with academic departments and champions, company

representatives, alumni and our hospitable reception. We continue to have careers service staff

visit us to benchmark their services against ours.

5.2 SAGEA AWARDS 2015

In November 2015, UWC Careers Service and UCT were joint winners of

the SAGEA Award ‘Best Employability / Work Readiness Initiative’ at the

SAGEA Annual Awards. Our winning entry was our re-imagined Mock

Interview Project.

5.3 UNIVERSUM SOUTH AFRICAN STUDENT SURVEY

According to the 2014 Universum South African Student Survey results

released in March 2015, UWC students are aware of and actively use our career services.

We matched the national average rating of 7.1.


5.4 STUDENT GOVERNANCE

The SRC elections over the past 14 years have been declared credible, free and fair.

5.5 NEW BRANDING

We finalised three variations of our logo and created icons for each of our programmes.

6. CAREERS SERVICE

Our career service offerings are described below.

6.1 MARKETING

OSD has increasingly utilised social media platforms to market our services and career opportunities,

network with recruiters and alumni, and to build our brand. Our student intern brought a fresh ‘Gen

Y’ look and feel to our posters, brochures and electronic communication to students.

The Career Opportunities page on the Careers Service

Portal of the UWC Website was viewed 20 440 times this

year with an increase of over 16 000 views from last year.

Our Careers Service Facebook Page ‘likes’

increased to over 3484.

We use to connect with recruiters and alumni.

We upload our activities on these electronic and social

media platforms.


2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

General 24 14 18 20 23 29

Law 14 15 16 20 22 22

Accounting and I.T 15 13 24 31 33

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Recruiters at Careers Xpo, 2010-2015

6.2 CAREERS XPO

The Careers Xpo provides an opportunity for:

Students to make personal contact with prospective employers and to enquire about the

company and career opportunities.

Companies and organisations to market themselves to our students and create brand

identification and awareness.

The Xpo was held over three days. The Acting DVC-SDS,

Prof. Moletsane welcomed the recruiters. The Dean of Law and

HoDs of Accounting, Information Systems and Computer Science

opened their respective Xpo. We were delighted with the increase

in participating companies, student turnout and alumni representing their companies.

The attendance of staff members of faculty offices and academic departments was encouraging.


Feedback from recruiters was positive:

“I have been to career expos at all of the universities

in SA and have to say this one is one of the best.”

“Great, helpful and friendly team.”

“We will return next year.”

“Great eagerness from students.”

A few comments from students:

“The Careers Xpo is a great initiative for students to

gain direct exposure to professionals from different

companies. It educated me about different graduate

programmes offered and jobs in general.

The advice and support of OSD staff was helpful.

Thank you.”

Widaad Martin, B Admin Honours

”The Careers Xpo provided an opportunity to engage

with potential employers, find out about the

companies I wish to work for, ask what they were

looking for from candidates, and enquire about the

culture of the company and growth opportunities for

graduates.”

Anele Madikizela, B Com Honours I.S.

“I recommend all students to make an effort to

attend the Careers Xpo. It provides opportunities to

network with reputable companies and aids you in

deciding whether you would like to start your

career with them.”

Mishkah Dollie, B Com III

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

General 1291 1324 1313 1640 1703 2380

Law 524 644 551 617 463 570

Accounting and I.T 459 480 931 780 1093

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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Job Search Skills Presentations, 2010 - 2015

Tools for a successful jobsearch

CV writing

Letter of motivation

Interview preparation

Using social media

6.3 JOB SEARCH SKILLS PROJECT

Through the Job Search Skills Project (JSSP), we facilitated the development of relevant job search

skills for students. Workshops are arranged for final year and post-graduate students, although first-

and second year students are encouraged to attend. Recruiters hosted workshops and presentations

on specific topics.

Many of the JSSP presentations were held over the lunch time. There was an increase in requests

from academic departments for job search preparation and CV writing workshops to be incorporated

into the curriculum. All presentations are listed below.

Date Topic Presenter No. of Students

Faculty/Departmental presentations

26 – 30 Jan OSD services for first year students OSD Team 2793

10 Feb CV and Letter of Motivation (1st year LFS 152 B Sc. students. Students submitted their CV and Letter of Motivation for review by CS to complete their assignment.)

N Parker 75

10 Feb CV Writing (2015 Law Top Achievers) W Middleton and N Parker

63

12 Feb CV and Letter of Motivation (I.S. Honours Students in Preparation for Internship Application)

N Parker 38

13 Feb Interview Preparation and Using Social Media for the Job Search (I.S. Honours Students in Preparation for Internship Application)

N Parker 35

25 Feb Law as a career (1st year law students)

Mr Randall van Voore and Mr Mendel Sass, partners at Bowman Gilfillan

74

11 March Job interview Preparation (Law Top Achievers)

W Middleton and N Parker

30

18 March CV writing (PGCE students) N Parker 124

15 April Interview Preparation (Final year B Com Accounting)

Aamena Ebrahim of AGSA


Job Search Skills Project

21 April Staying motivated during your job search

Nina Barnes, UWC Staff Development 33

22 April Your career is a journey not a destination

Tosca Johnson Investec Asset Management

36

23 April Dress for Success - interview preparation

Mogamat George, TFG

33

28 April Let your CV do the talking W Middleton and N Parker 56

29 April You are being Googled (to eliminate you) - Social media and the Job Search

N Parker 16

30 April The glue that binds your job search - Letter of Motivation

W Middleton 33

Faculty/Departmental presentations

13 May Interview Preparation (PGCE Students)

N Parker

81

04 August Preparing for technology related interviews

UWC Alumnus Oluwaseun Dada, Graduate Trainee at Rand Merchant Bank

44

12 August CV preparation and Letter of Motivation (Final year Oral Health in preparation for Ethics and Practice Management portfolios)

N Parker 19

17, 18 and 19 August

CV writing (Industrial Psychology II students as part of their IPS 231 module)

W Middleton and L Franke

+/-180

19 August Interview preparation workshop (Final year Oral Health students)

N Parker 25

26 August Job search strategies in the environmental sector (LFS 152 class)

UWC Alumnus Lameez Eksteen, Skills Development Officer: Environmental Leaders Programme, WWF-South Africa

40

7 Sept Interview Preparation (B. Ed IV students)

N Parker 67

11 Sept Interview Preparation (B. Ed IV students)

N Parker

37


6.4 MOCK INTERVIEW PROJECT

The Mock Interview Project (MIP) assists students with their job application and interview

preparation. Recruiters are encouraged to participate as this activity helps build their brand and

market their company to students. In the 2012 SAGEA Careers Service Survey, the responses of

many recruiters ranged between good-average to questions relating to:

the quality of UWC graduates;

how well they perform in employer selection processes;

their ability to demonstrate personal employability skills, and

their preparedness for the transition to the world of work.

The need for our students to be exposed to work readiness training was clearly highlighted. The job

search is competitive among graduates nationally. Students need to realise that the interview is their

one chance to personally demonstrate their suitability for a post and we therefore restructured our

MIP. With the support and encouragement of academic champions in the Departments of

Information Systems and Finance, students grabbed the opportunities to engage with recruiters

through these mock interviews.

Date Interviewer No. of Students

14 April Auditor General of South Africa 6

21 April Accenture 8

24 April Allan Gray 9

4 - 5 May The Foschini Group (TFG) 24

13 May Allan Gray 11

14 - 15 May Investec and Investec Asset Management 33


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20122013

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16 5335

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No. of students participating in the Mock Interview Project, 2010-2015

Feedback from Academic Champion

“Thank you for arranging the mock interviews from Allan Gray and Investec for our Finance students

in the past two years. Students have indicated that they benefit from the mock interviews

tremendously in that they are more confident in themselves and have received constructive

feedback on how to improve their shortfalls in answering questions in the interview process. Many

students also indicated that they have learnt great interview tips, which definitely contribute to the

successes in their job search.

As a mentor to our students, I found that students are more responsive to interactive learning in my

class room and are much more confident in various forms of class participation since the

implementation of the “mock interview initiative” – this initiative in my opinion has successfully

bridged our students with their potential future employers, not to mention that many of my top final

year students actually got job offers “on-the-spot” in the “mock” interviews!

Thank you for all the good work you and your team have done in creating ample opportunities to

empower our students, who will be future leaders of our country.”

Yours Faithfully

Prof Heng-Hsing Hsieh, Deputy Dean (Research), Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences

Feedback from students

“My mock interview provided me with a chance to make mistakes while

gaining valuable feedback. I am now confident to market myself to any

employer with flair”. Ishewakanaka Sibanda, Honours in Finance


“I gained valuable advice on presenting myself and received tips to confidently answer difficult

questions.” Sanele Siyabonga, B Com Accounting I

“The experience was similar to a real interview. I received tips on expressing myself, staying calm

and the do’s and don’ts of job interviews.” Sindile Kaba, B Com Honours I.S.

“I appreciate everything Careers Service has done for me. I had my CV and Letter of Motivation

reviewed a few times. The opportunity to attend mock interviews is a great initiative. These activities

motivated and helped me to gain confidence when applying for jobs.”

Rushana Mocke, B Com Honours Finance

“My mock interviews forced me to think about appropriate experiences to

demonstrate my skills and what makes me different from other

candidates. My confidence greatly improved and I gained greater insight

into behavioral-based interview questions. After constructive feedback, I

am keenly aware of my shortcomings and the value of preparation”.

Wavela Fante, B Com III

6.5 GRADUATE RECRUITMENT PROJECT

The Graduate Recruitment Project (GRP) is a platform for company presentations, showcases,

promotions and interviews on campus to assist students with their job search.

Although the Project is scheduled for the Third Term,

we accommodate requests throughout the year.


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20132014

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Graduate Recruitment Project, 2010-2015

Presentations

Showcases

Promotions

Interviews

New recruiters

Atmosphere Communications

BGR Association

Bloomberg

C2M Chartered Accountants

Capfin

Capitec Bank

Careers 24

Cenfri

City of Cape Town

Competitions Commission

Dentons

Dept. Mineral Resources

Direct Axis

Financial Intelligence Centre

Langeberg and Ashton Foods

Moores Stephens BKV

Google

Microsoft

Oceana Group

PBT Group

Procter & Gamble

RSM Betty and Dickson

SAIT

Wesgro

The number of

showcases and

promotions have

increased over the

years as it is more

effective in attracting

students.


6.6 CAREER UPDATE MAGAZINE

The purpose of our Career Update magazine is to inform

students’ career development and job search.

17 companies placed adverts. 3500 copies were printed

and distributed across campus. The electronic version

was uploaded to the ‘Resources’ page of our Careers

Service Portal.

Ten articles were published. Student writer Janske Nel

penned the feature article on our Rector’s career journey

from “Student Peer Facilitator to Rector”. Our Careers

Service Intern, Lauren Franke, focused on two graduates’

long walk through resilience, how to get your foot in the

door via an internship and your career being a journey

rather than a destination.

Our Wall of Fame zoomed in on alumni who are making their mark in diverse fields. We also

unpacked the career opportunities within the public sector and shared the experiences of students

who participated in the Mock Interview Project. The Magazine was promoted across the campus

using the ‘i am UWC’ selfie frame.

We distributed additional career magazines: Careers SA (900), Grad X (1000), Companies of the

Future (500) and CLU Magazine (500).

6.7 STUDENT ADVISING

Although student advising is a labour intensive and individualised process, students are able to

prepare better for their job search, present quality job search documents and have more defined

career plans. With the assistance of our Intern, we almost doubled the number of students assisted

in 2014 and increased our consultation sessions by more than 100%.


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No. of Students No. of Sessions

No. of Students and Sessions

2014

2015

Concern No. of students No. of sessions (@ 15 mins.)

Job search docs, GRP issues 487 925 Job search advising 34 61 Interview Preparation 32 113 TOTAL 553 1099

Our staff consulted with law students regarding their CV and Letter of Motivation for the

following recruiters:

Fasken Martineau

Cheadle Thompson & Haysom Inc

Cluver Markotter

Simpsons Attorneys

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

Kessler De Jager

Hogan Lovells

Allen Overy

6.8 RESOURCE CENTRE

At least 4583 students used the computers in our Resource Centre for Internet, Email, MS Office,

Facebook, job search and job applications.

6.9 JOB ADVERTISEMENTS

The number of external posts advertised among students has increased.

Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

No. of Adverts 1332 1578 576 2392 2423 3940

6.10 LAW TOP ACHIEVERS PROJECT

The top performing law students are identified and invited each year to join the Law Top Achievers

Project of the Faculty of Law. Selections are based on their academic results of the previous year

(minimum aggregate of 65%). Students are exposed to a variety of presentations, workshops and

experiences that support their professional readiness and competitive marketability which, in turn,

assists with branding the Faculty among law recruiters.

The following activities were arranged separately or jointly for the three groups of law students.


6.10.1 TOP 2015 (LLB II)

Date Session Description Number of Students

24 Feb Vernon Johannes (Pro Certified Life Coach)

Using effective verbal communication techniques to improve confidence

58

11 March UWC Careers Service Mock interview followed by Qs & As

30

11 May Mr William Booth (Specialist Criminal Defence Attorney)

Work of a criminal defence specialist

23

18 August Mr Michael Bargraim, (Bargraim Attorneys)

Labour Law as a speciality and how it relates to politics, business and the economy

5

26 August Mrs Shaheeda Poole (Senior Prosecutor, Athlone Court)

Practical aspects of charge sheets and the criminal court process

350 (open to all law students)

Top Achievers attending a

Professional Networking

function at Norton Rose

Fulbright offices.

Group members had an

opportunity to ask questions

relating to the practice of law.

6.10.2 TOP 2014 (LLB III)




24

21 April Alumni Mr Codi Haricomb (ENS 2nd Year CA) and Mr Walleed Adams (STBB 2Nd year CA)

Ethics and Practice Management

25

11 May Mr William Booth (Specialist Criminal Defence Attorney)

Work of a criminal defence specialist

21

18 August

Mr Michael Bargraim, (Bargraim Attorneys)

Labour Law as a speciality and how it relates to politics, business and the economy

21


Reeza Moosa (UWC Alumnus and Partner at Norton Rose

Fulbright) in conversation with Law Top Achievers at the

Faculty of Law.

6.10.3 TOP 2013 (LLB IV)




18

21 April Alumni Mr Codi Haricomb (ENS 2nd year CA) and Mr Walleed Adams (STBB 2nd year CA)

Ethics and Practice Management

8

6.10.4 SEPTEMBER VACATION PROGRAMMES

Cape Bar Exposure Programme (31 Aug to 4 Sep)

The Cape Bar Exposure Programme helped students to gain a practical understanding of the role of

an advocate. Only 10 students were invited to attend this week long event at the Cape Bar Council.

NPA (Wynberg and Bellville Courts) Exposure Programme (31 Aug to 4 Sep)

The NPA Exposure Programme helped students to gain a practical understanding of the criminal

justice process. Only 20 Students were selected for Wynberg and 25 students for the Bellville courts.


7. STUDENT ORIENTATION

The training of Peer Facilitators (PFs) took place on 14 – 20 January 2015. The presenters were drawn

from the Division of Student Development and Support and other University departments. The Rector

welcomed the PFs in a maiden address to students. The Official Welcome of new undergraduate

students took place on 21 and 22 January 2015. This was followed by the orientation programme until

30 January 2015. Attendance by the first year students was between 2000 and 3000.

Some notable successes of the Orientation Programme included:

The time management for the Official Welcome sessions was excellent.

Minimal confusion by parents and students about the correct Welcome Session to attend.

The generation-friendly way in which the Peer Facilitators welcomed the first year students in

the Main Hall was applauded by students and parents.

The information sessions for parents were very informative and well attended.

The PF golf shirts were branded with the new UWC tagline “i am UWC”.

An online survey was conducted among first year students to get their feedback about the

Orientation Programme and their PFs.

7.1 SELECTION AND TRAINING OF PEER FACILITATORS

Group interviews with shortlisted applicants were facilitated in September 2014 by staff of the Centre

for Student Support Services and OSD. The criteria for selection are good academic grades, co-

curricular involvement and skills in leadership, communication and teamwork.

Training of 90 PFs and 13 Student Faculty Coordinators in preparation for their responsibilities was

conducted over five days just prior to the start of the Orientation Programme which continued for

eight days. The PFs were responsible for groups of about 30-50 first-year students (primary groups)

divided according to faculty.


7.2 PRE-REGISTRATION

During the pre-registration phase, we welcomed our new students and parents on the first two

days. Parents visited our campus facilities and attended an information session with staff. The

Deans and lecturers gave an overview of each field of study, spelt out their expectations of students,

informed them about the registration process and guided them with regard to subject selection.

7.3 REGISTRATION

During registration, the Faculty staff and PFs

assisted students. Thereafter PFs showed students

around the campus, exposed them to the cultural,

sporting, social and recreational life of our

campus, and introduced them to the facilities and

resources. The exhibitions held by student

structures and service departments afforded

students the opportunity to inquire about campus

life beyond lectures. We encouraged students to

form learning communities (study groups).


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The academic and developmental presentations held during the first term further assisted students

with their transition. By the end of Orientation, students had a supportive and positive university

experience that included networking with peers and staff of their faculty and course of study.

7.4 MANAGEMENT OF ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES

The Sub-Committee of the Student Development and Support Services Committee (SDSSC) on Student

Orientation coordinates the planning of activities of the campus role players. Two meetings were held

to receive the report for 2015 and plan for 2016. The Office for Student Development managed the

implementation and operational aspects of the SOP.

7.5 EVALUATION

A structured evaluation questionnaire was completed by PFs who reported that the training was

useful in their preparation for Orientation and it provided a fruitful platform to sharpen an array of

their personal skills.

7.5.1 FEEDBACK FROM THE STUDENT ORIENTATION PROGRAMME SURVEY

The orientation experiences of first year students (961 respondents) were gleaned via SurveyMonkey.

Question 1

I experienced the overall Orientation Programme

as useful

Question 2

The campus tour of services, facilities &

resources was informative


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Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

Question 3 Comment about your PF on the following

Question 4

While in my orientation group, I felt:


Question 5

What did you like about your PF?

Question 6

What did you not like about your PF?

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Nothing

Didn’t show us exact classes

Disorganised, unprepared, not punctual

Unsureness, confused, shy

Moody, sensitive, not welcoming

Lazy, boring, quiet

No connection, no socializing with each other

Impatient, annoyed, frustrated easily

No control over students, too much on phone

Miscommunication

Rude, bad attitude, short tempered, strict

Not informative, unhelpful (esp. with registration)

Always late, rushing, speaking fast

No response

592

6

37

22

12

37

27

17

15

22

18

49

14

93

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Friendly, welcoming, kind, helpful

Energetic, active, full of life, on the go

Knowledgeable , informative

Reliable, responsible, patient

Organised, well prepared, resourceful, efficient

Showed respect, supportive, appreciation of diversity

Not shy, attentive, sensitive

Caring, thoughtful, considerate, supportive, warm

Fun, enjoyable, entertaining, cool

Good communication skills, easy to talk to

Enthusiastic, passionate, positive attitude

Good personality, humility, humbleness

Strict about time management, registered on time

Committed, dedicated, willingness, went beyond his/her call,…

Approachable, easy to talk to, understanding, motivating

No response

487

16

62

14

49

19

15

51

46

7

16

3

6

31

46

93


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Yes No Not Sure

22,0%

14,6%

2,2%

7,9%20,6%

12,0%

20,8%

ARTS

CHS

DENTISTRY

EDUCATION

EMS

LAW

SCIENCE

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Nothing

Student support

Exam rules and procedure

Need mentor / mentoring prog information

Bursaries, financial aid

Dental care for students

Sports facilities, gym

Student / extra mural activities to partake in-joing src, apply…

Accessing and using library facilities, ikamwa

Extra classes and tutoring services, tutorials, turnitin

Information about residence

General information

Information about modules and courses, module change (add…

Information about venues

Registration

No response

Question 7

What other information do you still need about UWC and/or your study programme?

Question 8

Will you apply to be a PF for 2016?

Question 9

Faculty affiliation

The overall feedback from students who participated in the Orientation Programme was positive

and encouraging. The weaknesses will be addressed in the 2016 Programme.


8. STUDENT GOVERNANCE

Fourteen representatives of three student

organisations attended the Voter Education session

on 18 August 2015 in preparation for the Election.

Mr Middleton focused on pertinent aspects of the

election process and Regulations. As a constitution

for the Central House Committee (CHC) was not

finalised, it was decided to conduct the SRC and CHC

elections concurrently and to use the SRC Election

Regulations to guide the CHC election as well. A MoU

was signed between the SRC, CHC and Residential

Services in this regard. After an intensive process of

identifying a suitable service provider to manage the

election, KDBS Solutions was the unanimous choice

and thus contracted.

The following student organisations participated in the election: SASCO, PASMA, DASO, ALUTA

and EFFSC. The election went relatively smoothly until we reached the vote counting stage. It

was discovered that voters had placed a few SRC ballot papers in the CHC ballot box and vice

versa. This gave rise to appeals by the agents who alleged that there was unlawful tampering

with the ballot papers-boxes by the polling officers. Agents then lodged a joint objection against

the counting process which, after consideration, was overruled by the CEO. The CEO reminded

the agents to submit any appeal to the DVC-SDS by 9h00 on the following day in line with the

Election Regulations. As the submissions were received after 9h00, it was not considered and the

Election Liaison Committee was informed accordingly at a meeting.

The CEO decided to resume counting and the University proposed that KPMG be invited as an

independent observer. When counting resumed at 18h00 on 2 October 2015, only SASCO sent

their agents and observers. All cases where votes did not reconcile were investigated thoroughly

and found to be a result of human error by voters. In the end, the SRC and CHC elections were

declared credible, free and fair by the Chief Electoral Officer with a percentage poll of 23,5% and

56,1%, respectively. The new SRC members were inaugurated on 19 October as arranged by

Mr Mdepa. The advice and interventions of Prof Moletsane and Messrs N Magopeni, S Rajie and

W Mdepa were greatly appreciated.

Manifesto Launch


The following table reflects the participation rate of students in the past SRC elections.

9. STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

We marketed and encouraged students to enter simulated business development challenges:

6 Feb: JSE Investment Challenge

6 Feb: South African Washington International Programme

19 March: Unilever Winter Vacation Programme

26 March: FNB Winter School

30 March: Global Enterprise Experience

8 April: P&G Winter Programme

28 April: IMVELISI – Developing Enviropreneurs

29 April: SKA: Young Professional Development Programme 2015 / 2016

7 May: Brightest Young Minds Summit 2015

25 May: IBM Master the Mainframe Competition

14 July: Unilever Africa Ideas Trophy

3 Nov: TCS CodeVita Global contest

These challenges are reported to have helped students to:

Apply theory to practice

Develop employability skills

Enhance teamwork and decision – making skills

Enhance their CV

Have fun and win prizes.

Year No. of organisations

(incl I.C.)

No. of Candidates

No. of Independent Candidates

% Poll

2010 – 2011 4 29 3 14,8

2011 – 2012 3 34 2 28,6

2012 – 2013 3 26 0 22,6

2013 – 2014 3 26 0 20,9

2014 - 2015 5 42 0 21,8

2015 – 2016 5 50 0 23.5


10. MEMBERSHIP OF ORGANISATIONS

Staff Organisation Role

W Middleton N Parker

South African Graduate Employers Association South African Graduate Employers Association

Members

W Middleton N Parker

South African Council for Social Service Professionals South African Council for Social Service Professionals

Members

11. MEMBERSHIP OF UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES

Staff University structure Role

W Middleton Senate Member W Middleton Senate Executive Committee Member W Middleton Student Development and Support Services

Committee (SDSSC) Member

W Middleton Marketing and Recruitment Support Forum Member W Middleton Sub-Committee of the Student Development and

Support Services Committee on Student Orientation

Chairperson

W Middleton Registrar’s Administrative Forum (RAF) Member W Middleton SDS Managers Forum (MF) Member

12. MEETINGS ATTENDED

WM Senate: 3 March, 19 May, 4 August, 17 November

WM Senate Executive: 3 February, 24 March, 14 April, 5 May, 14 July, 25 August,

15 September, 6 October

WM SDSSC: 29 April, 27 October, 9 November

NP SDSSSC: 11 February, 28 July

WM MRSF: 3 March

WM SDSSC SOP: 25 August

NP RAF: 20 March, 18 September

WM RAF: 26 May, 19 June, 17 July, 26 August

WM MF: 19 March, 14 May, 11 June, 16 July, 13 August, 10 September, 8 October, 15 October

13. WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES ATTENDED

Date Staff Member

Venue Name

25 Feb WM & NP

SAGEA Directions and key choices in South African higher education – and their implications for our economy Speaker: Emeritus Professor Ian Scott, University of Cape Town


21-22 April WM SDS Strategic Planning meeting 4 June WM, NP

and LF SAGEA Benchmarking your Graduate Recruitment,

Development and Engagement Programme: Insights from the 2015 Graduate Employer and Candidate Surveys” by Mr Tim Wise of High Fliers.

15 July NP and LF

SAGEA “Meet the Afrillennials - A revealing study of South African Millennials attitude towards work” by Student Village.

14 Sept WM UWC SDS IOP planning 17 Sept NP UCT NP attended the SAIIA Careers Evening at UCT 22 Sept NP UWC Registration Planning 4 Nov WM and

NP JHB Careers Service Networking Forum

5-6 Nov WM and NP

JHB SAGEA Conference

14. PRESENTATIONS ATTENDED

Date Staff Member Venue Name

4 March OSD team OSD Universum SA Student Survey 5 May WM and LF DT&L Seminar on “Replacing learners with social beings” by

Prof M Zukas 13 May OSD ICS ICS and CareerHub Webinar session

15. PRESENTATIONS DELIVERED

16. MEETINGS WITH COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS

Date Recruiter

29 Jan PWC and Dean of Law Norton Rose Fulbright and Dean of Law

25 March Werksmans Attorneys and Dean of Law 30 March Eduloan 8 May International Relations and the London School of Economics and Politics and UWC

EMS Faculty staff 11 May Old Mutual Public and Private Enterprise Managers and UWC EMS Faculty 27 July Bloomberg LP

Date Staff Member Venue Name

17-24 Jan NP and WM OSD OSD Services to 2900 first year UG students 12 May WM CSSS “The articulation of all efforts – Aligning all

sources of support for student success” 25 May WM IA OSD presentation to Bowling Green State

University 27 May WM CSSS OSD presentation to AZUSA University 22 Sept NP SoPH Registration Planning 4 Nov NP JHB CS Networking Forum


17. MEETINGS WITH UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS/FACULTIES

18. STAFF MEETINGS

16 February, 29 March, 25 May, 24 November, 8 December

19. STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Date Staff Member Topic

25 Feb NM Office Administration

4 March NM Office Administration

14 & 28 May NP Postgrad research

12 June NM Web Portal training

18 June NP Postgrad research

22 July LF Office Administration

7 Aug NM and LF Opportunities and Challenges of Women Leaders in Higher

Education

19 Aug LF Office Administration

20. CONCLUSION

We ended the year on a challenging note. However, we are reminded by RW Emerson that

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”.

We are convinced that the Office for Student Development has made a valuable contribution

towards attaining the IOP Goals and impacted positively and developmentally on the hopes,

dreams and lives of our students. This would not be so without a committed team of staff and

the resilience of our students.

Once again we have achieved ‘so much with so little’ in comparison to many other higher

education institutions in South Africa. The Office for Student Development stands out as a

beacon of hope for many of our students who enter this lovely campus with trepidation at the

beginning of their tertiary studies. We thank all who have made this possible – colleagues,

students, alumni and recruiters. We are humbled that you believe in us.

Date Staff Member Name

29 Jan WM and NP Dean of Law 24 March WM and NP Dean of EMS 1 April WM and NP Dean of Law 11 & 24 Aug, 3 Sept WM Rector: IOP planning 1 Sept WM DVC-SDS : IOP Planning 23 July, 6 & 24-25 Aug, 14 & 30 Sept, 8 & 16 Oct

NM SDS Awards Working Group

8 Oct NP SDS Awards Working Group 8 Oct, 13 Oct NP SDS Awards Nominations Committee Meeting

FOREWORD - UWC

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