Great collaboration and success at Unisa’s Orientation Week

During the week of 12 to 19 February 2024, Unisa opened its doors to 2024’s first-year students to support their transition to higher education with its week-long Orientation Programme.

The nationwide Orientation Week featured 24 one-hour sessions and students had four choices of participation: MS Teams, YouTube, campus venues, and campus Wi-Fi. The latter two facilities accommodated students without devices and/or data to not miss out on the orientation.

Students attending one of the sessions on day one at the Johannesburg Regional Centre

The Executive Director: Tuition Support and Facilitation of Learning (DTSFL), Professor Meahabo Magano, welcomed Unisa’s first-year students with an inspiring opening address. Thereafter, the Dean of Students, represented by Bheki Nxumalo (Acting Deputy Director: Advocacy Resources Centre for Students with Disabilities [ARCSWiD]), addressed the students. This session attracted 1 715 students on MS Teams, as well as remarkable 8 209 on YouTube.

This session was followed by presentations by the Directorate: Counselling and Career Development (DCCD), Directorate: Student Applications and Registration (DSAR), Student Retention Unit (SRU); Academic Development Open Virtual Hub (ADOVH), and ARCSWiD.

The second day was dedicated to regional orientation sessions, with college sessions taking place on 14 and 15 February, wrapping up on Monday, 19 February, with the Student Communication Services Centre, Student Development, Student Assessment and Administration, Student Representative Council, and Student Funding.

Students attending myUnisa and myLife training which was presented after orientation session at the Sunnyside Campus

While the Orientation Programme focused on the successful transition and social connectedness of Unisa students, it was also an intentional springboard to a beginning of a lengthier, year-long transition that connects students to teaching and learning at Unisa and, more importantly, signals proactive development of student support initiatives at the university.

Led by the SRU, the successful programme was a joint effort between several student support stakeholders. Assisting with the logistics, setting up and overall successful implementation were Institutional Analysis (central communication and marketing on myUnisa and institutional social media platforms), colleges (communication and marketing within the colleges and social platforms), and regions (technology and venue setup; communication and marketing of the event within the regions and on social platforms).

This was a collaborative effort that followed extensive consultation with colleges, support departments and regions in the Tuition Work Group (TWG) as well as the Student Teaching and Learning Support Committee (STLSC), which was approved by the Senate: Teaching, Learning and Community Engagement Committee (STLCEC).

#EngagedUnisans

* By Ziyanda Febana, Student Success Practitioner, Student Retention Unit