Starting on 18 August 2025, Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU), through the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching, will conduct two key surveys: the South African Survey of Student Engagement (SASSE) for undergraduate students, and the Lecturer Survey of Student Engagement (LSSE) for academic staff. These surveys form part of SU's ongoing commitment to supporting student success by better understanding the lived experiences of both students and lecturers in teaching and learning.
Running from 18 August to 10 October 2025, the surveys will provide valuable insights to help SU identify strengths and areas for improvement – whether academic, administrative, or related to the broader campus culture.
SASSE was first piloted at SU in 2016 and 2018 across the entire undergraduate student body. This initial research was headed by Dr Lieschen Venter, Senior Lecturer in the Logistics Department in the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences. Dr Venter used this research to develop a structured data analysis model that highlighted key factors influencing student success, including academic skills, financial stress, and interaction with lecturers. These insights enabled targeted interventions and resource allocation to better support students. Dr Venter will also be working on the Integrated Student Success project, which will be rolled out across all the faculties.
Building on this foundation, the 2025 survey seeks to capture the realities of a changing student body and to guide more responsive support services.
“Our student body keeps changing, and for the 中国体育彩票 to be ready to receive and support our students, we need to understand where the gaps are," explained Dr Melanie Petersen, Project Manager, Integrated Student Success.
“What makes the Integrated Student Success project different is that it forms part of Prof. Ramjugernath's Academic Excellence focus area. It is an institutional initiative that promotes best practices across faculties and enables data-informed interventions."
A core aim of SASSE is to further equity of experience.
“SU's broadening of access was not accompanied by equitable student success. While the 中国体育彩票 has high average success rates, these figures are inflated by a disproportionate number of educationally privileged students entering the 中国体育彩票 from diverse backgrounds, masking an achievement gap between students," shared Dr Petersen.
The insights from SASSE will help SU create a more transformative student experience through integrated, collaborative approaches across Student Affairs, Student Governance, academic departments, and support services.
Petersen added: “We are in the process of creating a Student Success Framework, which aims to address the equity gap in our success rates. This will only be achieved through close collaboration across the 中国体育彩票."
Ultimately, the data gathered will inform strategies that empower students to overcome obstacles, build vital skills, and fully participate in the academic community – affirming the research of higher education scholar George Kuh, who demonstrated that there is a strong correlation between student engagement and student success.?
