Title: South African Higher Education student enrolment
1South African Higher Education student enrolment
retentionMarié FowlerTshwane University of
Technology
Live your life. Create your destiny.
2Strategic Management Supportl
Intake in HE in South Africa (2003)
- Total state institutional undergrad enrolment
approx. 717 793 - Graduates 109 373 (15.2)
- Only 15 of students ever graduate!
- Statistics show that only 22 of tertiary
students graduate after 5 years. Dep. Ed.
Minister, Surty (27/02) - Problem There are as many graduation and
retention statistics as there are studies and/or
reports of those studies -
3Retention problematic in South African HE
- Enrolments seriously inflated by repeat students
with little or no prospect of graduation - Financial aid problems add to dilemmas
- Only 15 of students speak English 1st language,
often the language of instruction (many
instructors lecture in a language not their own)
- Good news Student Affairs getting organized
professionally nationally are committed to
progress.
4Strategic Management Support
5Strategic Management Support
HERD-SA Kellogg Grant and Project
Assist decision makers/practitioners to begin
measuring retention rates (SA defs) by
developing a culturally appropriate methodology
for reviewing presenting meaningful
data. Develop a profile of student
characteristics from data collected/identified
and determine what, if any, relationships the
data may have to student retention and attrition.
6Strategic Management Support
Direction of Kellogg Grant Project
Focus mainly on first year students yet will
make methodology available for use at all levels
of tertiary education. Share findings with
institutional and governmental agencies adhering
to confidentiality guarantees.
7l
Strategic Management Support
HERD-SA Project Leaders
Roger B. Ludeman (USA) HERD-SA Project
Director Email herdsa_at_hotmail.com Prof. Amanda
Lourens, HERD-SA Project Assistant
Director North-West University Email
Amanda.Lourens_at_nwu.ac.za Rosemary Hayes
(University of Oklahoma) Consortium for Student
Retention Data Exchange Email rhayes_at_ou.edu http
//www.ou.edu/csrde/index.html
8Strategic Management Support
HERDSA PROJECT
Institutions taking part Basics and
definitions Methodology Results
9Strategic Management Support
Participating institutions
- Tshwane University of Technology
- Wits University
- North West University
- Central University of Technology
- University of Johannesburg (Comprehensive)
- University of Cape Town
10Tshwane University of Technology
- Result of 2004 Merger of 3 Technikons
- Biggest residential university in SA
- 52 000 students on 8 campuses covering 3
provinces (states) - 4.5 International students (2006)
- 88 Black, 12 white (2006)
-
- Technikons
- Universities of Technology
- Black black, coloured asian
11University of Witwatersrand
- Founded in 1922
- Total enrolment 24 652 (2006)
- Highly rated research capacity
- Race 66 Black, 34 White
- 7 international students
- Gender breakdown 50/50
12North-West University
- Result of a merger (black white inst)
- Approximately 38 596 students (2005)
- 91 undergrad, 7 post grad.
- 39 male, 61 female
- 34 White, 66 Black
13Central University of Technology, Free State
- Head count (2006) 10 447
- Race 82 Black, 18 White
- International students 5
14University of the Free State
- Headcount 24 521 (2006)
- Race 60 Black, 40 White
- International
- students 7
15University of Johannesburg(A comprehensive
university)
- Headcount 42 655 (2006)
- 73 Black, 27 White
- 3.7 international
- students
16University of Cape Town
- Headcount 21 658
- Gender about 50/50
- Race White 45, Black 28
- 14 Coloured, 8 Indian
- International student 19.6
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Basic underlying factors problematic
- Mergers affected almost all
- Three types of university
- Years of survey 2000 2003
- First time entering students as target group
- Confidentiality
- Data extraction HEMIS own systems
18Strategic Management Support
Retention Definitions
Baseline Enrolment First time entering students
enrolled for a 3-year diploma/degree in the year
under consideration. Second year dropout rate
Students of the baseline enrolment cohort who did
not register (enrol) for the 2nd year of study
nor cancelled their studies and did not
graduate. Graduation rate The cumulative number
of students from the baseline cohort who received
a qualification within or before the specified
year.
19Definitions (continued)
- First time entering undergraduate or prediplomate
(HEMIS definition)Â Â -
- The person (a) is effectively registered in the
collection period for an undergraduate or
prediplomate course and (b) in the past has not
been effectively registered in any higher
education course at the institution or any other
higher education institution.
20Strategic Management Support
Methodology
Cohort studies (Track progress over a number of
years) Profiles of stayers and dropouts Use
existing demographic/personal data obtained from
admissions/ registration/financial aid forms.
HEMIS data can also be used for this
step. (Variables include e.g pass rate, age,
gender, race, citizenships, financial aid/
bursary status, previous year activity, grade 12
type aggregate, course load)
21Strategic Management Support
Variables used for phase 2(Obtained from HEMIS)
- Year of registration
- Institution code (as in HEMIS)
- Student number
- First time entering status
- FTE degree credits passed (enrolments/ year)
- HEMIS qualification type
- Birth date
- Gender
- Race
- Citizenship (as reported in HEMIS)
- CESM category
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Variables (continued)
- Financial aid
- Residence
- Previous year activity (as per HEMIS)
- Matric type
- Grade 12 aggregate
- Dropout status
- Course load
- Home postal code
- Home language
- Qualification code
23All Institutions Phase I Enrolment, Dropouts
and Graduates of 20001 cohorts
24All Institutions Phase I Enrolment, Dropouts
and Graduates of 20023 cohorts
25All Institutions Phase I Dropout Graduation
Rates
- Cohorts used in calculations
- The overall 2nd year dropout rate all cohorts
- The overall 4th year graduation rate only the
2000 - 2002 cohorts (when the data was extracted,
the 2003 cohort had not yet had 4 full years to
graduate)
26Descriptive Statistics Phase II data
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Next plans of the project
- Bring in other institutions to participate
- Utilize pilot institutions as consultants to
assist new institutions to adopt new data
analysis profiles. - Share aggregate profiles as needed. Remember
data belongs to the institution. - Introduce additional ideas for further data
analysis or research. - Develop CD-ROM with structures needed for new
institutions to enter their data and produce
their profiles of stayers and leavers
28Strategic Management Support
HERD-SA Kellogg Grant and Project
Assist decision makers/practitioners to begin
measuring retention rates (SA defs) by
developing a culturally appropriate methodology
for reviewing presenting meaningful
data. Develop a profile of student
characteristics from data collected/identified
and determine what, if any, relationships the
data may have to student retention and attrition.
29Strategic Management Support
Future Needs and Ideas
- Work to create ongoing retention research for
all of South African tertiary education - Develop an online clearinghouse of SA student
retention studies - Look at interventions designed to combat
attrition
30Strategic Management Support
Thank you Marié Fowler fowlerm_at_tut.ac.za