Page 35 - Transformation Indaba Report

hollistiC student suPPort – ACAdemiC; student leAdershiP And
develoPment; sPort, ACCommodAtion, trAnsPort, nutrition,

disAbilities, heAlth And sAfety

dAy 1, breAkAwAy room 2 │ Facilitated by Dean Student Life & Development, Mr Luthando Jack

We’ve seen lots of delivery in terms of of safety & security on residences. The Portfolios within the residences are
campuses. Staff and students feel more secure at Mission- working so well.
vale, especially during the period of community unrest in
the neighbouring Missionvale. Missionvale Campus was tasked with the distribution
of the Nutrition Programme. Missionvale also has an
Student Life: We’ve had a tough two years when not being aquaponics project and are securing food for vulnerable
able to be in classrooms but had good student life in the groups/individuals. (Sharon)

Students demanded campuses be closed in after the rape in- presented by Dr Levendal. We need to revisit the source
cident on 2nd Ave Campus. Fencing of campuses was initiat- of that – under-preparedness of students or an under-
ed but is still a work in progress project. Much to be done still preparedness of the University, to admit students coming
especially after the robberies in 2021. Need to consolidate, from different backgrounds. The type of responsive strate-
expand student life on campus, and do more. A Working gies we deploy to deal with diverse student population has
Group was established to look at student life on campus. mainly come from Q1-3 of our schooling systems. The
Much student poverty, as Dr Levendal had reported. situation was different a decade ago. We’ve been able to
Budget has been allocated towards this important need. Prof adapt our support systems and ways of deploying T&L so
Soudien tried to problematize the massification of HE insti- as to respond to that diverse student population.
tutions and only spoke to the fee aspect (NSFAS) but it goes (Luthando)
beyond that and is partly reflected in racialised success rates

The biggest shift has been the shift within student support student support. Mandela University is heading in the right
space to a more student-centered developmental shift but direction in terms of holistic student support but there’s still
are staff ready for this shift and can they adapt and what the inherited silo-affect within student support systems.
capacity-building do staff require for this shift related to Student support can be one voice and consolidated. (Karen)

Mandela University could institutionalise the notion of a structures because it’s a university imperative straddling
student-centered university – firstly, to clearly define it all structures at our university as well as a deliberate
for ourselves as a Mandela university, but secondly, also programme of creating a new student-centered culture,
have clear strategies embedding it in the work of all our based on holistic plan. (Luthando)

NelsoN MaNdela UNiversity • traNsforMatioN iNdaba • 2022 29