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A giant leap for student success and retention

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Unisa's SI Supervisors with North-West University staff

Since the announcement of Unisa’s share of the $6 million grant from the Kresge Foundation, the Student Retention Unit (SRU), under the leadership of the Department of Tuition Support and Facilitation of Learning (DTSFL), has been a buzz of excitement and pride – especially after the successful launch of the Siyaphumelela ("We Succeed") initiative on 14 May 2025.

This journey, with the predetermined goal of broadening evidence-based postsecondary student success strategies across South Africa, will see the introduction of four new student support projects to be implemented over the next three years at Unisa.

One of the programmes to be launched in the second semester of 2025 is Supplemental Instruction (SI). SI is an academic support programme which is designed to enhance students’ learning and success in challenging courses. Originating at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1974, SI has been widely adopted by educational institutions globally. Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a valuable resource that supports students’ success through peer-led, collaborative learning. By targeting high-risk courses and fostering an inclusive learning environment, SI helps students achieve their academic goals and enhances overall retention and graduation rates.

To successfully pilot SI within the Comprehensive Open Distance eLearning (CODeL) context, the Student Retention Unit (SRU) has undergone intensive SI supervisor training at the Nelson Mandela University (NMU). NMU, as the SI National Office for Southern Africa, is responsible for the training of SI supervisors and academic staff from institutions around Southern Africa. 

To prepare for a successful start in the second semester, the SRU has benchmarked their performance first against the University of Limpopo, and more recently against the North-West University (NWU). Such benchmarking ensures that the SRU is well equipped in understanding the administration, recruitment, training and reporting processes of SI. The Unisa team was particularly interested in both online and face-to-face modalities, as well as practical insights into managing attendance, tracking impact and integrating SI in faculties. 

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Ziyanda Febana-Mkila, Student Success Practitioner, and Mr Lekau Rachidi, Manager - Student Success Practitioner (SRU) at the University of Limpopo

With a trained and capable team of 29 dedicated support staff members, the SRU is confident about its abilities to successfully pilot the SI programme at Unisa without glitches.

The SRU expressed its gratitude for the hospitality and generosity of the information sharing of the aforementioned institutions, which it trusts will provide the fuel and passion for soaring academic success.

* By Ziyanda Febana-Mkila, Student Success Practitioner at the SRU, and Siyaphumelela Co-lea

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Publish date: 2025/07/01

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