SciMahtUS

A successful university access programme for underserved

students in South Africa:

the journey and beyond.

Elza Lourens

Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Presentation at Open Network Event on Diversity

12 November 2019

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Structure

1. Why SciMathUS?

2. The selection process

3. The academic programme

4. Support structures

5. Our strengths

6. Our challenges

7. Our successes

8. A student’s voice

9. The HE journey

10. The transition into first-time employment

11. Questions and discussion

Why SciMathUS?

• Since 2001

• Contributes to redress and transformation of country

after apartheid

• Focus on underserved groups

• Only 9,1% black African people in HE

The selection process

• Online application

• Short period for selection

• Intense time

• 1000 applications for 100 spots

• Academic requirements

• 60% average

• 45% for Mathematics

• 45% for Physical Sciences

• 50% for Afrikaans or English

The selection process

• Underserved status

• Socio-economic status

• Education of parents

• Type of school attended

• Points awarded according to criteria

The academic programme

• Two streams

• Sciences or Commerce

• NSC exam improved Gr 12

• Academic Literacy

• Computer Literacy

• Weekly structure

• 15 hours Mathematics

• 14 hours Physical Sciences

• 5 hours Academic Literacy

• 3 hours Computer Literacy

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The academic programme

• Pedagogical approach

• Interactive

• Flipped classroom

• Problem Based Learning

• Research project

• ICT integration

• SUNlearn

• Collaboration with faculties

• Laboratories

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Support structures

• Residence

• Mentors

• Food/Clothes/Bedding

• Emotional support

• SciMathUS Graduate

Employability Initiative (SGEI)

• Psychometric tests

• Career presentations

• Faculty presentations

• Support with applications for HE and bursaries

• Collaboration with student counseling and health services

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Our strenghts

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• Holistic programme

• Strong team

• Dedicated

• Small turnover of staff

• Relatively small number of students

• We know our students

• Privately funded

• Open doors to underserved students

Our challenges

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• Marketing and recruitment

• Students only need us after they have received their final

Gr 12 marks

• Selection

• Very intense

• Many applicants whom do not qualify

• Students drop out

• Difficult circumstances

• Better/other opportunities

• Cannot follow students in other HEIs

• Funding

Our successes

• 1415 successfully completed SciMathUS

• 78% of SciMathUS students enroll at SU

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Our successes

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• 367 first degrees awarded at SU

• 94 post-graduate qualifications

• 3 PhD’s, 2 PhD’s in process

• 316 students currently in the SU system

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The HE journey

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The HE journey

The journey into first-time employment

Challenges

• Difficult and challenging

• Time to employment

• Lack of planning

• Limited scope

• Random internet searches

• On-line applications

• In-service training and internships

• CV’s and graduate profiles

• Career services and institutional support

• Social networks emerged as main method to secure

employment

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The journey into first-time employment

• Graduates do not think about future careers when they enter

HE

• Students and parents believe that a HE qualification guarantees

good employment

• Students believe postgraduate studies provide a positional

advantage in the labour market

• There is little or no focus on graduate employability during HE

• A gap exists between graduation day and first-time employment

• Students from disadvantaged backgrounds still struggle more to

capitalise on the benefits of HE for employability than their

peers.

• There is little or no support from HE or employers

during the transition into employment

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Findings

The journey into first-time employment

• The study highlighted the complexity of graduate

employability, particularly in a highly unequal

society such as South Africa

• The study demonstrated how important

networking and the strengthening of social capital

are for graduates with a view to employability

• The study revealed the importance of a graduate

profile in seeking and finding employment

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Implications

A student’s voice

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Thank you for your attention!

Contact particulars:

el3@sun.ac.za

Questions and discussion

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