‘Reflective, critical and socially responsible individuals’

The Department of Student Affairs (DSA) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has embarked on a project that will serve as a strategic fulcrum for evidence-based decision making, policy alignment and reflective practice.

They have done this through the launch of the Office of Student Affairs Research, Innovation and Analytics (OSARIA). “The idea is to reposition student affairs as a scholarly and transformative space,” said the executive director of the DSA, Pura Mgolombane.

OSARIA stands as DSA’s affirmation of shared resolve in pursuit of the humanising project at the institution: listening deeply, learning critically and acting purposefully so that students can flourish. OSARIA is located within the DSA’s Framework 2035, which envisions a DSA ecosystem that is integrated, innovative and transformative.

“We must begin to have co-creation of work we do because that’s where innovation comes alive. Ultimately, it’s about encouraging inclusive and compassionate learning spaces,” said Mgolombane.

OSARIA seeks to generate insights that inform programme design, institutional responsiveness and student development strategies across all clusters. It will foreground data, research and innovation to measure impact, evaluate well-being interventions and forecast emerging student trends.

It will, according to the DSA, be an embodiment of the philosophical anchors of their practice in three pedagogies: the humanising pedagogy (research is above all a human act); the pedagogy of discomfort (confront what the data reveals); and the pneumatological pedagogy (recognising that innovation and insight must be infused with purpose). These are known as the 3Ps.

OSARIA has adopted the slogan, “Where inquiry rekindles purpose, restores wholeness, and radiates change”. At the launch, attendees had an opportunity to hear presentations from DSA staff regarding transformative pedagogic paradigm as it takes place at UCT Lead; understanding the role of student leaders in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) responsiveness in universities; as well as how the humanising pedagogy shapes understandings of student leadership in higher education.

Gaps identified

“There is a convergence between pneumatological and humanising pedagogy in terms of the human dignity aspect; pneumatological and pedagogy of discomfort meet at the point of integrity; while the humanising overlaps with the pedagogy of discomfort at the point of empathy and social justice,” said Christine Immenga during her presentation.

Neo Langa, taking the audience through her research avenue, said she chose the topic of student leaders because of the interface they are currently at.

“We are cultivating reflective, critical and socially responsible individuals.”

“We live in a violent country, so we research how that manifests in small groups, even with students amongst one another. We then look at what example our leaders are setting.” A portion of Langa’s ongoing research looks at students as influencers who have a voice in policy direction on matters of GBV. “They’re important in driving GBV responsiveness, advocacy and awareness.”

Phumza Qwaqwa said: “It is important to think about what the purpose of higher education is because we understand it is not merely the transfer of knowledge. We are cultivating reflective, critical and socially responsible individuals. We do this by creating programmes for student support and engagement – meaningful programmes based on intentionality of what it is that we want students to engage in.”

She added: “Because the DSA can engage students on numerous levels of the student body, we have an advantage, and this means we are able to identify gaps in programmes and projects that exist. One of the gaps that was identified was the need for a student leadership programme for first-year students.”

The team at OSARIA will continue to refine their research to fuel their enhancement of the DSA’s priorities. Mgolombane concluded: “As we inaugurate this new chapter, may we remember that transformation begins not in structures, but in the hearts and minds, in those who believe that compassion and evidence can coexist, that analysis can be an act of care, and that learning can be a form of liberation.”