DEEP DIVE SEMINAR USHERS IN A NEW ERA OF COLLABORATION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS IN WSU

Following on the success of the inaugural Student Success Dive Seminar which aimed to chart strategies to improve the student experience across all Walter Sisulu University (WSU) campuses, the Institutional Research and Planning (IRP) unit, is now pushing ahead with plans to implement the objectives.  

The action plan comes on the back of a two-day seminar, hosted in collaboration with the Directorate for Learning and Taction (DLT) and Student Affairs two weeks ago.

The first order of business for Louis Mapatagane, Director of Institutional Research and Planning, is improving work relations between academic and support departments for the benefit of students.

“The most important insight? We must break down the silos. The walls separating academic and support departments must fall,” he noted during an interview.

Reflecting on the seminar held on WSU’s Potsdam campus recently, Mapatagane, described the event as the first of its kind milestone at WSU with significance that cannot be overstated.

“For the first time, the lived experiences of our students, captured through the Student Experience Surveys, were given the attention and institutional weight they deserve,” Mapatagane said.

“It was powerful to witness how seriously the findings and recommendations were received, and how diverse the participation was. Every corner of the university was represented, a clear signal that we are beginning to truly uplift the student voice,” Mapatagana added.

According to Mapatagane, the collaboration showcased how each division contributes to a holistic student journey.

“IRP brings the data - collecting, analysing, and converting it into actionable insights and recommendations,” he explained and added that DLT takes these insights and translates them into meaningful interventions in teaching and learning, while Student Affairs focuses on the student’s journey beyond the classroom — encouraging a sense of belonging, personal development, and readiness for life after graduation.

Echoing his sentiments, Student Tracking and Institutional Research (ST-IR) manager Dr Munienge Mbodila, described the seminar as a transformative shift from a typical informational session to a genuinely collaborative and solution-oriented dialogue.

“In terms of participation, the turnout was significant, but more importantly, it was cross-functional, and we saw engagement not just from central student support services, but also from academic departments, Residence, students themselves, Data Management, ICT, and researchers. This demonstrated a widespread recognition that student success is a shared institutional responsibility, not the sole domain of a single unit,” he said.

He highlighted three key themes that will guide the university’s next steps: data-driven proactivity, a ‘One University’ approach to student support, and empowering students as partners.

“The insight that students experience the university as a single entity, not a collection of departments, is transformative. We will look to break down bureaucratic barriers and create more ‘one-stop-shop’ service models, so students aren’t passed from pillar to post when they need support,” he added.

To maintain the momentum, seven working groups led by Deputy Deans have been established to focus on priority areas such as digital integration, psychosocial support, curriculum relevance, and student voice.

As Mapatagane aptly concluded: “In this way, student success becomes more than a concept — it becomes embedded in how we operate, how we plan, and how we lead. It is now a standing priority, not a periodic project,” he said.

BY: Yolanda Palezweni