Postgraduate Chartered Accountancy (PGCA) studies at the University of the Free State are known for their intensity. Students in the Chartered Accountancy stream carry heavy workloads, professional pressure, and high expectations. “Success in the profession is no longer just about technical knowledge,” says Jana Lamprecht, Programme Director: Chartered Accountancy in the School of Accountancy. “It’s about combining that knowledge with values and smart thinking.”

Recognising this, the School of Accountancy and Student Counselling and Development have joined forces to launch the Postgraduate Accounting Student Support (PASS) programme, a structured well-being initiative designed to help students develop and maintain coping and health behaviours to manage stress and maintain mental health throughout the year.

Listening before designing

“The more we spoke with students, the clearer it became that academic intensity wasn’t the only challenge,” says Prof Cobus Rossouw from Financial Accounting in the School of Accountancy. “They were struggling with stress, anxiety, and how to navigate everyday life while meeting professional expectations.”

To ensure that the programme truly reflects the student experience, Student Counselling and Development, which forms part of the Health and Wellness Centre within the Division of Student Affairs, led a series of student- and data-driven activities (e.g. group interviews and surveys) to inform the programme design. “We wanted to create a programme based on the students’ views and perspectives,” explains Mieke Fletcher, a psychologist in Student Counselling and Development. “We want to walk a journey with them and get an understanding of their lived experiences.”

Student voices shape the programme

From these conversations, several themes emerged: the need for practical coping strategies, greater awareness of available mental health resources, mentorship opportunities, and flexibility in the delivery of support. Students also emphasised the importance of peer connection and simple well-being habits such as gratitude, exercise, and structured routines.

These insights became the foundation of the PASS programme. The programme now includes psycho-educational workshops on several topics, such as stress management and emotional regulation; spatial and environmental awareness and literacy support (SEALS) activities that integrate well-being into classroom spaces – where the class is ended with a brief well-being activity or micro-intervention; and a large-scale, experiential activity-based event coordinated by the School of Accountancy.

“These interventions give them a small dose of mental health without taking up much time,” Fletcher says, adding that it is “such a privilege to really do things in a way that is both relevant and has impact”.

Practical tools for long-term growth

Visual reminders of mental health awareness now appear throughout the department, with posters linking to feedback surveys via QR codes. Data from these surveys, micro-intervention feedback, workshop evaluations, observations from PGCA lecturers, and reflective practices help refine the programme each semester.

“It’s encouraging to see students recognising that well-being is part of professional competence,” says Prof Rossouw. “Ultimately, PASS is about equipping them with a set of tools they can carry forward into exams, into work, and into life.”

“The Division of Student Affairs, including SCD, is committed to the holistic well-being of students,” says Dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee, Director of the Health and Wellness Centre. “The PASS programme is therefore a practical realisation of one of the division’s strategic goals of fostering an environment that is conducive to the biopsychosocial well-being of students.” “Our long-term goal,” Dr Dunn-Coetzee added, “is to build a programme that’s both human and evidence-based – one we can measure for impact.”