UCT’s Siyaphumelela network bags Kresge Foundation grant

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Siyaphumelela network has received funding from the Kresge Foundation to kickstart the third iteration of the programme. The Siyaphumelela initiative aims to amplify post-secondary student success at institutions across South Africa.

The grant totals R116 million, which will be spread across multiple higher education institutions.

“In the first phase of Siyaphumelela, our focus was on understanding how to implement evidence-based decision-making across all areas, including institutional leadership, student support, and faculty management with the ultimate aim being to support and improve success rates for all students,” said Dr Riashna Sithaldeen, the deputy director of the Academic Development Programme in UCT’s Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED).

“For the next phase of this we want to take this further by building a comprehensive data analytics framework for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of student data. We also want to design and implement targeted advising intervention strategies that systematically use student feedback to refine and improve support.”