Page Content: The special and important relationship between students and lecturers was celebrated on Tuesday at the Rector’s Dinner for Top-Performing Students, hosted by the First-year Academy (FYA) of Stellenbosch University (SU), during which the 30 top performing first-years of 2012 were honoured.
Special recognition was also given to the lecturers who these students felt had made the greatest contribution to their academic success. These lecturers were also invited to the event.
![Ms Ebrezia Johnson of the Faculty of Law and LLB student Donnay Green.]()
Ms Ebrezia Johnson of the Faculty of Law and LLB student Donnay Green.
Guest speaker Prof Sonia Human, Dean of the Faculty of Law, congratulated the students and lecturers. “I see here excellent lecturers who tell the students at the beginning of their first year: ‘I am willing to walk this road with you’. And students who say: ‘I’m in’.” Before she became dean, she herself had been nominated by students a number of times.
Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, congratulated the students who “had stepped in and stepped up”. The FYA is a good example of what can be done if you believe in students – believe in them truly – and invest in them, he said.
He encouraged the students to take responsibility for themselves, for their own excellence, and in doing so spread the excellence to the rest of South Africa, Africa and the world.
Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-rector: Learning and Teaching, commended both students and lecturers and told the academic achievers that they have created an excellent platform for the rest of their studies. He challenged them to be role models in their classes and communities, but encouraged them to be more than just academic role models. He emphasised the importance of being a well-rounded person.
Student success is one of the aims of the HOPE Project, as well as one of the University’s strategic focus areas. The HOPE Project is a university-wide initiative through which the institution is using academic excellence and cutting-edge research to promote human development.
SU has an undergraduate success rate of 84% and the through-put rate of its first-years is constantly above 85%, compared to a national average of barely 50%.
Earlier, Prof Schoonwinkel said that this success can be attributed to strong academic support and special interventions for students at the University.
Since 2007, the 30 top performing first-year students in the end-of-year examinations of the previous year across all faculties are introduced during a prestige evening. Credit is given not only to students who are academically strong but also to those who have risen above circumstances that might have limited their success.
A highlight of Tuesday’s function was when the lecturers and students formally exchanged letters that they had written to each other. Copies of these letters were placed in cylinders and exchanged over dinner.
Prof Johan de Villiers, retired professor in Mathematics, has been invited to this event at least five times and was invited to Tuesday’s event by Michal van der Walt, a student in Actuarial Sciences.
Prof De Villiers believes an invitation to this event serves as an encouragement to lecturers because they realise: “Wow, I’m on the right track.”
It is great that students are recognised for their hard work after their first year and not only at the end of their studies, he added. Most of the students agreed that it motivates them to continue working hard.
Prof Johan van Zyl, associate professor in Pharmacology and nominated by medical student Leanne Young, said it was quite sobering to realise what an impact a lecturer can have on a student, especially because classes are often very big and there is little time to pay attention to individuals.
He encouraged Leanne to maintain this level of dedication throughout her studies and to aspire to be excellent in all aspects thereof.
Mrs Bessie Burger, a lecturer in Mathematics, was nominated by Judene Farmer, a student in Chemical Engineering. They both agreed that such an evening of acknowledgement is an excellent idea and very motivating.
Prof Sarel Steel, a lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, was nominated by two students: Nina Nicholas and Rebecca Selkirk. He said that he felt very honoured and that it was a privilege to teach these students.
Nina Nicholas wrote to Prof Steel: “Thank you for treating every student equally. You congratulated those students that achieved good marks personally, and you motivated those who you believed could do better. This said a lot about your caring character.”
Ms Ebrezia Johnson, a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, was nominated by Donnay Green, an LLB student. Ms Johnson described the evening as a “pleasant and overwhelming experience” and said it inspires her to continue doing her best.
She wrote to Donnay: “You are so fortunate to have realised very early in your academic career the value of persistent hard work, you have made the necessary sacrifices and this has ensured your academic success.”
Donnay said it was a huge privilege to have been invited to the event and it is wonderful to know that hard work is rewarded.
Dr Gareth Arnott of the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science was also nominated by two students: Kristin Mapstone and Paula Louw.
“I take lecturing very seriously and I like to make the students enthusiastic by being enthusiastic. It’s good to know that you enjoy your work and it’s making an impact.”
Paula wrote to Dr Arnott: “I think that the popularity of your classes was due to the fact that your lectures were always guaranteed to be interesting and enjoyable. Not only were you a captivating lecturer with a personality and the ability to intrigue university students, you also made yourself accessible to the hundreds of students enrolled in your course.”
Ms Annemarie de Villiers, a lecturer in Ancient Studies, and Dr Arnold Muller, a senior lecturer in Mathematics, also received invitations to Tuesday’s function from two students.
This initiative is undertaken by the First-year Academy, the Centre for Teaching and Learning and the Academic Affairs Council.
More about the First-year Academy (FYA)
The FYA is a University-wide initiative to improve the success rate of first-year students by implementing or facilitating a variety of research actions, programmes and projects. The FYA was implemented for the first time in 2007 and the entire University community is involved in this very important initiative.
The FYA include:
A welcoming programme for all first-years that aims to facilitate the transition from school to university by providing for a range of activities that will introduce the student to university life in its totality.
Students undergo Early Assessment that can give a good indication of which students might be at risk in certain modules. With the early identification of students who are most likely to need additional support, timely assistance can be provided and their chances of long term success can be improved.
Teaching and Learning Co-ordination points in faculties (TLCs): To ensure the presence of the FYA in each faculty, TLCs are convened by a dedicated senior member of staff. The TLCs meet regularly (typically once a term) to discuss matters relating to first-year success.
There have been exciting developments with the attempt to establish subject tutors in departments where previously there were none. The Centre for Teaching and Learning tutor-mentor programme will continue until these subject-specific tutor programmes are well-established.
The ResEd programme attempts to create a learning atmosphere in the residential or extra-curricular context by offering formal and informal programmes along this theme.
It was a week full of celebrations for the Weighill family. Weighill's wife Debbie received her MSc degree cum laude on Tuesday, the couple celebrated their third wedding anniversary on Wednesday and Weighill's brother Ben also graduated on Thursday – he received his HonsBSc degree cum laude.
