Project Mpumelelo – Working towards synergy in addressing students success and retention issues at the University of Johannesburg Presented by André van Zyl Academic Development and Support Unit, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, University of Johannesburg, South Africa EAN Annual Conference 2007 Galway, Ireland

Introduction Who am I? What do I do? Where do I work? The University of Johannesburg –Four Campuses across Johannesburg and surrounding areas –More than students –Range of qualifications (levels and types)

Context and Background

A Historical Overview Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) Vista Soweto Vista East Rand (Daveyton) Incorporation during 2004 RAU with three campuses Merger between Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) January 2005 – Creation of University of Johannesburg Practical merger process

Retention in South African Higher Education “We can no longer afford to lose half our students at university to the drop-out pool and we can no longer afford to look at the number of unemployed graduates without alarm. Part of our success is that we have widened access to our universities (3 in 4 students are black; 2 in 4 students are women) but we have to ensure that those young men and women, whose parents struggle to send them there, succeed at university so that they are equipped to meet every challenge that the corporate world has to throw at them.” Minister Naledi Pandor in a speech to the BMF during October 2006

Retention in South African Higher Education Students entering in 2000 Dropped out by 2004 Graduated by 2004 Not completed by 2004 RAU % (948) 58%9% TWR % (2266) 29%11% Universities % (14594) 50%12% Technikons % (25220) 32%10% MACFARLANE, D. (2006)

Retention at UJ Situation at previous institutions Situation at UJ Government benchmarks and funding implications Emphasis on student success Massive changes in student demographics during the last decade Issues of access and success

Project Mpumelelo

Project Mpumelelo – Conceptualisation Retention challenges at UJ Limited resources Various activities aimed at improving student success Fragmented efforts Lack of communication and coordination Generic efforts v integrated efforts

Project Mpumulelo – Theoretical base Tinto’s model Astin – Student involvement Cultural capital First Year experience Various of European influences Work done at UJ and other South African Universities Uniquely South African factors Limited resources and extreme diversity

Project Mpumelelo – General information Initial meetings within Learning Centre Lack of coordination of efforts identified as major shortcoming Initial discussions with top management Pilot projects during 2007 Phases of intervention –Residences –Upon arrival –After the first assessment

Mpumelelo – Goals for 2007 Initiating and building relationships with academic staff Establishing processes to facilitate effective cooperation Planning, implementing and evaluating pilot projects Raising awareness within the University

Mpumelelo – Activities for 2007: Residences Residences as learning centers Historical situation Specific plans –Culture of learning –Tutors in residences Merger process Future of this phase of the project

Implementation cont. Upon arrival –Information gathered on 2700 first year students in January 2007 –Analysis of information and initial dissemination After the first assessment –Workshops up to date 171 Humanities first year students 94 Business management diploma students 350 Business management degree students

A Typical implementation Cooperation between Academic Development and Academic departments Meetings with individual lecturers to discuss involvement and needs Development of material Discussion of material Presentation of workshops Follow up with students (Consultations) Follow up with lecturer (Meetings)

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices Feedback from training session on study techniques offered to a group of 346 (171 BA and 175 B Com) first year students using Philosophy 1 and Business Management 1 subject content Evaluation questionnaire completed at the end of the session Short questions and open comment question at the end 245 out of the 346 students made a written comment

Initial Results

Selected Qualitative Results

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices General tone –Students enjoyed the presentation and were thankful for the development opportunity “Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to learn about these learning techniques. I am sure now my grades will improve” (BA student) “Where have you been? I would have been better off in High School if someone had shown me these techniques! Thanks!” (B Com student)

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices Some (healthy) skepticism –Some students (Six in total) were worried about the time it would take to apply the techniques illustrated “Looks like this is suppose to turn one into a bookworm, yet it is helpful” (BA Student) “I Think this presentation must be presented before the first test as it needs long-term planning. To make the studying easier it must be given a long time before” (B Com student)

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices Timing (Many comments) –Students would have liked to have been exposed to this type of development opportunity at an earlier time “I honestly wish that we had this session before any of our first tests, but it is better now than never” (BA student) “This should be integrated in the orientation programme for first years.” (B Com student)

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices Identification of past mistakes and bad habits –Students were able to compare what they had been doing up to now with the new way of engaging with the material “I feel that the training session has helped me understand where I have been going wrong, and my success with philosophy as well as my other subjects is sure to improve” (BA student) “It was great – Makes you realize things you wouldn’t normally notice” (B Com student)

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices Awareness of available support –Students became more aware of available support and assistance “I would really like to go to the Learning Centre. It would be a great help to my studies” Transferability of knowledge gained –Students were able to compare what they had been doing up to now with the new way of engaging the material “Excellent techniques, hopefully it will help for future tests, subjects and lectures”

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices General comments –“Thanks for the help. Very informative, concise, interesting and in context. Would have been better to have had one of these earlier, but due to my reluctance I did not. Suggestion: maybe make other students go to these” –“The actual representation will help me prepare for my philosophy tests in the future! Management should have more study sessions in the first term. Especially with first years!”

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices Lastly… –“I think this technique will be very useful in my studies, hopefully I will do much better in the second semester. I will start applying the new techniques at the beginning of the semester” –“I learned a lot today in terms of how to approach the subject and recall more information. I can and will definitely use this methodology to prepare for my future exams”

Selected Quantitative Results

Project Mpumelelo – Feedback: Student voices

Interesting initial results… Developmental session conducted with Philosophy 1 students. All students were encouraged to attend the session Session conducted directly after first test and well before second test Students tracked Results were as follows

Interesting initial results… 153 didn’t attend the session Average mark for test % Average mark for test % Increase of 2.45% 27 did not write test 2 Average increase without students who did not write test 2 of 8.20% 169 attended the session Average mark for test % Average mark for test % Increase of 13.24% 6 did not write test 2 Average increase without students who did not write test 2 of 14.82%

Conclusion

Project Mpumelelo – Lessons learnt and initial conclusions Value of relationships (staff and students) Finding champions The need is great and efforts make a positive impact Coordinated effort is needed Integrated material (applied to student’s actual work) Timing is important

Project Mpumelelo – What does the future hold? Newly formed ADS unit Long road ahead The power of synergy Increased integration and cooperation Making success an institutional academic matter

Thank you!

Bibliography PANDOR, N. (2006). Address to the Black Management Forum annual conference, Durban 12 October 2006 MACFARLANE, D. (2006) Shock Varsity dropout stats. Mail and Guardian newspaper. September 22 to p6