By: Qhawekazi Memani – 20 June 2024

The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) is proud to announce its selection as one of the 12 new institutions in the Siyaphumelela network, a prestigious initiative funded by the Kresge Foundation to improve postsecondary student success in South Africa”. This significant investment marks the third phase (Siyaphumelela 3.0) of grant support aimed at systematically transforming how universities serve students, both nationally and within their institutions, to improve student outcomes.

Over the next three years, VUT will receive targeted funding to enhance student success through several key initiative. These initiatives include strengthening data capabilities to better understand and improve student success, enhancing student retention and success rates through comprehensive support systems, and implementing support for high-risk modules to drive student success and improve throughput rates.

The awarding of this grant to VUT, comes hot on the heels of the University being among the recipients of the Special 20^th Anniversary Award presented by Achieving the Dream (ATD) at the DREAM: Siyaphumelela Network Awards that took place on 21 February 2024 in the United States of America (USA). This prestigious accolade recognises and celebrates the work of South African institutions of higher learning that are affiliated with ATD and Siyaphumelela Network for advancing equity, promoting student-centered transformation and increasing the use of evidence-based approaches to enhance student success with global perspectives.

Dr Muntuwenkosi Chili, the Executive Director of the VUT’s Centre for Academic Excellence (CAD), highlighted the importance of the Siyaphumelela network, which is coordinated by Saide, a South African-based nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming education for equitable outcomes. “The overarching goals of Network include establishing a more student-centred culture within South Africa’s higher education system to enhance student success, meeting annual targets to improve retention, course success, and throughput rates for degrees and diplomas. It also aims to eliminate disparities based on race, gender, and socio-economic status,” elaborated Dr Chili.

Additionally, Siyaphumelela aims to enhance institutional capacity to collect and utilize student data for evidence-based decision-making to improve student success. The initiative also seeks to consolidate and share evidence-based student success efforts nationally, encompassing student support, data usage, teaching and learning, and institutional transformation. “Embedding the student voice in these initiatives is a core aspect of Siyaphumelela’s strategy,” emphasised Dr Chili.

Established in 1924, the Kresge Foundation has a longstanding commitment to South Africa, being the only place, it works outside the United States Since beginning its support for South African universities in 1989, the foundation has invested nearly $40 million to promote postsecondary access and success, with a particular focus on improving student graduation rates.

Dr Chili, the Institutional Lead for Siyaphumelela at VUT, furthermore emphasised the substantial progress made by Siyaphumelela Network institutions. He noted that the student success initiative is widely recognised as a successful catalyst for change. “VUT will benefit immensely through this funding and participation by establishing a more student-centered culture to improve student completion rates, enhancing institutional capacity to collect and use student data to improve student success, and expanding evidence-based student success efforts using a networked approach that builds on existing strengths and shares capacity throughout the higher education system,” Dr Chili stated.