What is it? A team of experts that lead and coordinate academic tutorials and success initiatives aimed at senior students.
Why is it important? First-year students are often unprepared for the autonomous nature of higher education – the level of academic independence may catch them off guard and create so much anxiety that they fail or drop out. We aim to bridge this gap with subject-specific tutorials that include topics like study skills. To ensure that senior students stay on track, we continue to support them in their pursuit of success. Following academic success, we also prepare students for employment with a tailored programme that runs for the duration of their studies.
How does it help? Academic obstacles are identified before they become unsurmountable. In addition, we encourage discussions about and the application of discipline-specific subject matter as well as guide students to work through difficult concepts with their classmates. Overall, our services improve study skills and build peer learning communities. Employability skills help students to build a career and have the confidence to market themselves after graduation.
Academic Student Tutorial and Excellence Programme (A_STEP)
A_STEP is a learning support programme that facilitates student development and academic success through peer-led small-group tutorials. These tutorials are led by trained senior students across all seven faculties on the Bloemfontein campus, four faculties on the Qwaqwa campus, and three faculties on the South Campus. A_STEP sessions offer regular, peer-facilitated sessions that occur out of class and after lectures, thereby integrating content with learning skills and study strategies.
A_STEP aims to assist students:
- to apply and discuss content related to their modules;
- to work on difficult concepts with their classmates;
- to improve their study skills; and
- to build communities of learning led by trained peers.
Types of tutorial support offered:
- Face-to-face tutorials.
- Online group tutorials.
- Telephonic tutorials.
- One-on-one tutorials.
- CUADS tutorials.
- Exam and test bootcamps.
Contact
A_STEP Call Centre
T: +27 51 401 9111 (Option 4 and then Option 2)
E: AStep@ufs.ac.za
Senior Student Success
#SecureTheGrad is a Senior Experience and Student Success Initiative within the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the University of the Free State. Furthermore, #SecureTheGrad invites thought leaders and experts to share the value of their services/journeys with senior students in a live conversation format. The webinars aim to provide students with an opportunity to network virtually with the campus community and key partners, enabling them to plan their professional development, establish realistic expectations aligned with those of the institution, and foster a sense of possibility in graduating and embracing the future.
The themes of the webinars are:
- Senior orientation (academic advising and appeals).
- Finance.
- Academic support.
- Career and wellness.
Contact
E: securethegrad@ufs.ac.za
Instagram: securethegrad
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@securethegrad
Diamond League is a programme that aims to equip emerging and current UFS alumni with the essential skills required to excel in the working world. This is done through personalised peer mentorship and a career development programme (CDP) with in-person and self-paced work-readiness sessions, virtual career expos, and dual-track coaching with industry experts.
Contact
E: diamondleague@ufs.ac.za
LinkedIn Learning is a free and educational online learning platform for all registered UFS students to complete short courses and videos to help them grow and develop in areas they care about inside and outside of their degree. There are thousands of high-quality instructional videos to choose from addressing topics from the fields of business, creativity, and technology. The platform covers a range of technical skills, soft skills, digital skills, and software titles. The courses range from beginner to advanced, are taught by industry experts, and are available 24/7 on PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Click here to activate your LinkedIn Learning license:
https://lnkd.in/dcPYCdfs
Here are the steps you need to follow to log in successfully:
Click on LinkedIn Learning: Access the LinkedIn Learning platform through your web browser.
Enter Your Credentials: Use your university email address to sign in. If you haven't set up an account yet, you can do so by selecting the "Sign Up" option.
Single Sign-On (SSO): choose the option to sign in through the university's portal. This will require you to use your university credentials.
First time activation flow:
If you want to learn more about LinkedIn Learning, visit the Student Success portal on Blackboard under Organisations (you need to have logged in on Blackboard).