Languages: 
In the upcoming second semester, WSU’s Directorate for Learning and Teaching (DLT) will pilot its highly anticipated WSU101 module with this year’s cohort of first-year students.
The DLT has appointed WSU postgraduate students who will be responsible for implementing the rollout of the module across the university’s four campuses.
These facilitators, taken from various faculties and study programmes, underwent an intensive training programme in July, presented by officials from Governance, ICT, the Writing Centre, and Student Affairs.
Writing Centre Manager, Doctor Stenford Matenda said: “We have recruited postgraduate students who are going to work as facilitators for the module. They will be working in different campuses to ensure that all students fully participate in the programme. We are now empowering them so that they have a full perspective about this particular module.”
In 2023, DLT together with various units from the institution set out to develop a course that would assist first-year students from under resourced schooling backgrounds in adjusting to university life and, eventually, the workforce.
Owing to its outreach and geographic location, the university has assumed the role of a gateway institution, providing educational opportunities to a large population of rural, economically disadvantaged students.
The institution, therefore found it necessary to develop a module that would keep students abreast of the higher education environment and its demands.
The module, officially named Intshayelelo, encompasses Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship, Ubuntu and Ethics, Digital Literacies, an overview of the university, as well as Language Development, Academic Literacies, and Leadership and Governance.
“The programme will give students a holistic development. They will not only come to university to benefit from academic activities, but we will strive to deal with the eight dimensions of wellness,” said Deputy Director of the Student Health and Wellness Cluster, Prince Dabula.
Public Administration Honours student, who is one of the newly appointed module facilitators, Talente Ncama said that the programme would help new students to easily adapt to university life.
“As an honours student looking back to my first year, I think new students will have it easier because, as facilitators we will build a supportive and friendly environment for students to make sure that their first year is positively better than ours,” said Ncama.
By Yanga Ziwele
