Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology: Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Education is constantly challenged by rapid technological changes both in terms of curriculum renewal and in terms of students’ awareness of these new technologies. This is the reason why the aim of this study is to analyse factors affecting computing students’ awareness of the latest ICTs. This aim is further divided into four research sub-aims: the selection of the relevant theories for this research; the design of an appropriate conceptual model to support it; the empirical testing of the above mentioned model; and finally, recommendations arising from the research results. The first research sub-aim is accomplished through selection of the Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as the theoretical framework of this study after a review of different theories of technology adoption. The second research sub-aim is accomplished through the design of a conceptual model which is an adaptation of the relationship between the prior conditions construct and the knowledge/awareness construct of IDT. The prior conditions that were studied are students’ perceived exposure to career guidance and students’ perceived curriculum currency. These prior conditions were analysed as possible predictors of computing students’ technology awareness. The third sub-aim is accomplished by means of a survey of 116 computing students from the four universities of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, the results of which validated most of the relationships hypothesized by the above mentioned model. Having knowledge/awareness as the main variable of the current study can be seen as its main contribution in view of the fact that only two studies from the reviewed literature on IDT are examining the awareness/knowledge construct. The fourth sub-aim is accomplished by means of some recommendations, one of which is that gender and ethnicity be considered when curriculating computing courses both at the high school level and at the university level.

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the for the degree of Master of Technology in Photography, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / This dissertation is a self-study that involves inquiring into my mentoring practice to change and improve my situation and find a sense of belonging. The centre of the inquiry into 'self' lies in the search and claiming of an identity that consolidates the development of my artistic, mentoring and research practices during my 'first time' employment experience, as a junior lecturer in a Photography program, 2009-2011. I reflect on three years of lecturing experience in a tertiary education setting at the Durban University of Technology, in which doing a Masters was obligatory. I entered this position, with little experience in research and lecturing or photographic expertise. During this study, I made myself known as osmosisliza, the name of the ‘cyborg’ who journeys in cyberspace. I claim to be a ‘photographer horticulturalist’, a mentor concerned with cultivating collective online spaces, to create movement to connect in cyberspace for social learning purposes. I ask “Who is osmosisliza?”. My class motto is “what you think, know and believe helps us all to be more”, a personal belief for building knowledge through exchange and collaboration with others. I employed a variety of free Web 2.0 applications, like Gmail, Blogger, Buzz, Picasa Web Albums, Google Bookmarks and YouTube to create online spaces in which I could position my living educational theory. I called this place the Google Lens (GL). The Google Lens formed the mechanism to cultivate communities of practice for social learning, to develop confidence, motivation and engagement. The Google Lens was also the repository for qualitative and quantitative data. Mostly I analyse verbal and visual text, writings, photographs and video exchanges between learners and myself archived in the Google Lens to address my research question and sub-question. Through the lens of Google I did action research to improve my practice, and analyse my development as a newcomer to academia. I investigate how successful I was in using the Google Lens to achieve my mentoring goals. I also made photographs during the process of this inquiry to visually address abstract identity dilemmas, concerns and thoughts in my place of work, to engage my ‘I’ in my ‘eye’ as photographer. I exhibit these in cyberspace. I call these electronic postcards. Electronic postcards are blog posts in a weblog called osmosisLIZA. I made 98 blog posts and sent 98 electronic postcards in this dissertation. An electronic postcard consists of a photograph, an illustration, labels and a text heading. In this document the electronic postcards run alongside the writings for this self-study, functioning as text and message of the experiences of a developing academic as well as evidence of the developmental questions I was continuously asking to improve my practice.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The theme of this study is an investigation of the financing issues of Universities, with specific reference to the Graduate School of Business of the University of Stellenbosch. The goal of the study is to determine what influence the successful or non-successful completion of studies at the Management School have on the subsidies that the University of Stellenbosch, and therefor the Business School, receive from the state. The following critical factors influence the University's revenue from subsidies. Firstly, time plays a role. It is a fact that when a student is successful in obtaining a degree within the minimum period or longer, or not al all, this directly influences the funding of the University, and therefor also that of the specific department, because each cost unit at University and Faculty level is directly influenced by the number of enrolled students who successfully complete their credits. The principles of the subsidising of instruction inputs and outputs causes that it is more important for the university that students attain their specific credits and therefor their degrees in the minimum prescribed period of time, rather than eventually attaining their degrees. If a student enroll for a number of credits in a specific year, but he does not attain those credits that year, it means that the university will effectively only receive half of the normal subsidy amount, because subsidy will not be calculated for the next year for success. The second factor is the demographic profile of students. Because of the entry of previously disadvantaged communities, and their bigger demand and need for training, there will in future be more and more pressure on the funding principles and the subsidies that universities receive from the government. This will force universities to find ways to support students, and encourage them to attain their degrees within the prescribed time frame, without compromising standards. The third factor is that the central government does not pay the subsidies that it should pay in terms of the so-called subsidy formula. These factors make it imperative that enrolled students should attain their degrees as soon as possible. This study focuses therefor on the so-called subsidy formula and how the success ratio of MBA-students impact on the financing of current expenditure of the Business School of the University of Stellenbosch. In order to make recommendations on which actions the Business School needs to take in the light of successful completion of studies, the following work method was followed. Various personnel of the Administrative Department of the University of Stellenbosch (US), as well as the Business School of the University of Stellenbosch (USB), was interviewed to determine how the formula is used within the framework of the University, as well as to obtain information and statistics on the study patterns of students of the USB. A study was conducted of previous, the current and future funding formulae. Personal interviews were conducted with people at the Management School of the University of Potchefstroom to compare their MBA-course with that of the USB. The most important finding of this study is that Universities should do everything in their power to ensure that students successfully obtain their course credits within the prescribed minimum period, as the subsidy payable for non-successful students are half of that payable for successful students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tema van hierdie studie is 'n ondersoek na die finansieringsvraagstukke van universiteite, met spesifieke verwysing na die Bestuurskool van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Die doelwit van die studie is om te bepaal watter invloed die afstudering of nie-afstudering van studente aan die Bestuurskool (USB) het op die subsidie wat die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, en uiteindelik die Bestuurskool, van die Staat ontvang. Die volgende kritieke faktore beïnvloed die Universiteit se inkomste uit subsidies. Eerstens speel tyd 'n rol. Dit is 'n feit dat indien 'n student suksesvol binne die minimum tydperk of langer afstudeer, of glad nie, dit 'n direkte invloed op die befondsing van die Universteit, en uiteindelik die befondsing van die departement het, omdat elke koste-eenheid op Universiteits- en Fakulteitsvlak direk geraak word deur die getal ingeskrewe studente wat hulle krediete suksesvol voltooi. Die beginsels ten opsigte van die subsidiëring van instruksie-insette en -uitsette veroorsaak dat dit belangriker is vir die universiteit dat studente hulle spesifieke krediete en dus hulle grade binne die voorgeskrewe minimum periode moet behaal, eerder as dat hulle uiteindelik grade moet behaal. Indien 'n student inskryf vir 'n aantal krediete in 'n sekere jaar, maar nie in daardie jaar sy krediete behaal nie, beteken dit dat hy effektief net die helfte van sy normale subsidiebedrag vir die universiteit beteken, aangesien daar vir die volgende jaar nie weer subsidie bereken kan word ten opsigte van sukses nie. Die tweede faktor is die demografiese profiel van studente. Die toetrede van die voorheen agtergeblewe gemeenskappe, en hulle groter eise en behoefte aan opleiding, veroorsaak dat daar in die toekoms meer en meer druk op die befondsingsbeginsels en die subsidie wat universiteite van die staat ontvang, gaan wees. Dit sal universiteite noodsaak om wyses te vind om studente te ondersteun en aan te moedig om hulle grade binne die voorgeskrewe tyd te behaal, sonder om standaarde te verlaag. Die derde faktor is dat die sentrale regering vir die afgelope paar jaar al, nie die volle subsidies betaal wat hy behoort te betaal ingevolge die sogenaamde subsidieformules nie. Hierdie faktore noodsaak dit dat ingeskrewe studente dus so vinnig as moontlik moet afstudeer. Die studie fokus derhalwe op die sogenaamde subsidieformule en hoe die suksesratio van MBA-studente impakteer op die finansiering van lopende uitgawes van die Bestuurskool van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Ten einde aanbevelings te maak oor watter optredes die Bestuurskool in die lig van suksesvolle afstudering behoort te neem, is die volgende werkswyse gevolg. Onderhoude is gevoer met verskeie persone verbonde aan die Administratiewe Departement van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (US), sowel as die Bestuurskool van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (USB), om te bepaal hoe die formule binne die raamwerk van die Universiteit toegepas word, asook om inligting te opsigte van die afstuderingstendense van studente aan die USB te bekom. Daar is 'n studie gedoen ten opsigte van vorige, die huidige en toekomstige subsidieformules. Die respondent het ook onderhoude gevoer met persone verbonde aan die Bestuurskool van die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys om vergelykings te tref tussen hulle MBA-program en die van die USB. Die belangrikste bevindings van hierdie studie is dat Universiteite alles in hulle vermoë moet doen om te verseker dat studente hulle kursuskrediete op tyd suksesvol voltooi, aangesien die subsidie betaalbaar ten opsigte van nie suksesvolle studente die helfte beloop van die subsidie wat betaal sal word vir 'n suksesvolle student.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education and Training (HET) bands in South Africa are characterised by major challenges resulting in the high rate of unemployment in the country despite the promulgation of a plethora of transformative pieces of legislation post-1994. These challenges include failure by post-matric applicants to meet minimum university requirements for admission; unemployed graduates; and tension within the higher education and Training (HET) band among various quality assurance bodies and explicit mutual doubt about each other’s capacity to perform quality assurance of HE learning programmes. In an endeavour to find solutions to these problems, the researcher contemplated whether the cause could not be the current system of quality assurance in South Africa. This perception has dominated the current discourse on quality assurance, which has warranted a need for research in this area to find concrete answers to the current problems, as well as potential solutions. In this study, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) are used as units of analysis to determine the veracity of the arguments pervading the current quality assurance discourse that there are uneven levels for quality and different and presumably inconsistent varying capacities for quality assurance in the current education system. The objective of the study was to test the veracity of this hypothesis for the purposes of making recommendations informed by concrete and scientific empirical data. The major findings of this study are that the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) policy, requiring CHE and the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) to coordinate the entire HET band, has not been implemented as envisaged. The degrees of quality assurance and capacity for quality assurance in South Africa vary dramatically between the SETAs and CHE and also among the SETAs when compared with one another, and there is a lack of consistency and co-ordination at National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 5. Furthermore, the current legislative framework underpinning the SETAs and CHE is fundamentally contradictory. On the basis of these findings it is recommended that the current quality assurance and accreditation system be overhauled by bringing about one council responsible for the quality assurance and accreditation of all workplace and vocationally orientated learning programmes in line with international best practices. CHE should concentrate on learning programmes that are academically orientated. Lastly, the current legislative framework governing the operations of SETAs and CHE should be amended.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For the past five years, Stellenbosch University (hereafter SU) has worked attentively to improve the diversity profiles of its staff and students, as well as the campus climate. In this regard, as at many other institutions, SU has worked in various ways to promote diversity. To this end, SU has not only invested in a variety of strategies and initiatives to address inequalities that exist in the education system, but has implemented their strategies and initiatives to assist with the diversification of the campus environment. Supplementary to these strategies and initiatives, staff, students, faculties and departments substantially support the institutional climate for diversity by supporting the various approaches and initiatives. In the twenty-first century, higher education institutions are obligated to make numerous changes in their recruitment, retention and study programmes to succeed in having a more diverse learning environment. This thesis discusses diversity at SU and how the institution, as a community, can work together to make the campus a more welcoming place for everyone. The purpose of the study was to determine the success of the diversity strategies and initiatives used by SU to promote their student diversity profile as it relates to students’ perceptions and experiences of the campus. The data confirms differences in opinions and perceptions in demographics such as race, culture, ethnicity and religion/beliefs. The researcher has also found a relationship between campus climate and the perceptions that students and staff may have. The findings presented in this study enhance the body of knowledge in the areas of student recruitment and retention strategies and initiatives, as well as student participation, student progress and campus climate. Even though the study is limited to one institution, this report provides institutions with a better understanding of student/staff involvement, their backgrounds and the campus climate as these aspects relate to the staff and students’ perceptions of the institutional commitment to diversity. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) het vir die afgelope vyf jaar aandagtig gewerk aan die diversiteitsprofiel van beide studente en personeellede, sowel as aan die klimaat op kampus. In hierdie opsig het die US, soos ander hoëronderwysinstellings, op verskeie maniere gewerk om diversiteit te bevorder. Die US het nie net belê in ’n verskeidenheid strategieë en insiatiewe om die ongelykhede wat in die onderwyssisteem bestaan, aan te spreek nie, maar het ook hierdie strategieë en inisiatiewe geimplimenteer om diversifikasie van die kampusomgewing aan te moedig. Bykomend tot die strategieë en inisiatiewe het studente, personeellede, fakulteite en departemente ongelooflike bydraes gemaak tot die institusionele klimaat van diversiteit deur verskeie benaderings en insiatiewe te ondersteun. In die een-en-twintigste eeu het dit toenemend belangrik geword vir hoëronderwysinstellings om veranderinge te maak in werwing, behoud en studieprogramme ten einde `n meer diverse leeromgewing te bewerkstellig. Hierdie tesis bespreek diversiteit in die hoër onderwys en hoe die US as gemeenskap saam kan werk om die instelling `n meer verwelkomende kampus vir almal te maak. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die sukses van die diversiteitstrategieë en insiatiewe wat deur die US vir die bevordering van die studente diversiteitsprofiel gebruik is ten opsigte van studente se persepsies en ervarings van die kampus te assesseer. Die resultate bevestig verskillende opinies en persepsies oor demografiese aspekte soos ras, kultuur, etnitisiteit en godsdiens/geloof. Die navorser het ook `n verhouding bepaal tussen die kampusklimaat en die persepsies van studente en personeellede. Die bevindinge wat hierdie studie aanbied, dra by tot die geheel van kennis in die areas van strategieë en insiatiewe om studente te werf en te behou, sowel as studentedeelname, studentevordering en kampusklimaat. Hoewel die studie tot een instelling beperk is, voorsien hierdie verslag instellings van `n beter begrip oor studente/personeelbetrokkenheid, hulle agtergrond en die kampusklimaat in terme van hoe hierdie aspekte verband hou met die studente en personeel se waarnemings van die institusionele verbintenis tot diversiteit.

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Worldwide various studies have been undertaken to investigate the influence of discrimination due to sexual preference and the impact thereof on the homo- and bisexual student during his/her student years. As opposed to this, few studies have been done at tertiary institutions in South Africa. This study investigates homosexuality as a sub culture by illustrating the experiences and perceptions of a selected group of homo- and bisexual students with regards to social interaction within a heterosexual student environment.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My research is motivated by concerns with promoting „transformation‟ in Stellenbosch University, a formerly white Afrikaans University which is still predominantly white in terms of numbers and proportions of students attending the institution. While I argue about the importance of taking measures to promote more „diverse‟ student populations, I am critical of discourses which equate transformation with „improving‟ demographic profiles defined in terms of numbers of black, white, coloured and Indian students. I argue that understandings of transformation and diversity need to engage with the students‟ views and experiences of the university in order to make meaningful change with regard to social cohesion and integration, which goes beyond statistical change. My research does this by exploring how students from particular residences, in Stellenbosch University, construct and experience university and residence life and their own identifications. The students were interviewed in friendship groups, selected by the students themselves, and a key concern of mine was to facilitate conversations with them on broad themes relating to their reasons for coming to Stellenbosch and their interests, aspirations, motivations, identifications and disidentifications as particular students in particular residences in Stellenbosch. I was particularly concerned to pick up on issues which the students raised in these „focus group discussions‟ so that the students, themselves, played a key role in setting the agenda in the discussion and they and their reflections on their experiences and constructions of themselves and others became the topic of discussion. Rather than taking the group interview as an „instrument‟ (as interviews, like questionnaires, are often described in methods texts in the social sciences), I write about it as ethnographic encounter involving them and myself as participants, and I explore insights about the nature of their friendships and relationships derived from first-hand experience, of how they engage with their selected friends and with me in the research group. Furthermore, by engaging with them as authorities about their lives and identifications as particular kinds of students at Stellenbosch, and posing questions which encouraged them to reflect on these. I argue that this kind of research can itself become a model of good pedagogic and „transformative‟ practice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nie beskikbaar

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the face of increasing competition, Business Schools increasingly have to evaluate the quality of the service that they offer to current and prospective students. The most significant factor affecting an organisation's performance is the quality of its products and services in relation to the products and services of competitors. Measurement of service quality is a function of customer satisfaction, which in tum is based on a perception of how the service conforms to prior expectations thereof. A widely accepted method of quality assurance used in industry is ISO 9000 certification. For academic institutions the de facto method of providing confidence in the quality of the education they offer is through academic accreditation. The University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is unclear - in the light of its academic accreditations - of the benefits to be derived from implementing ISO standardisation within the organisation. The iso 9000 series is a set of quality standards, of which ISO 900 I: 2000 is one, which is primarily concerned with the quality management process. It deals with what the organisation does to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer and applicable regulatory requirements, and to continually improve the organisations performance in this regard. It is important to note that compliance with ISO standards is not intended to guarantee the quality of a product or service, it is however intended to provide confidence in the processes which produced or delivered the product or service. In evaluating the applicability of ISO 9000 in the service industry, it is concluded that there is little difference from how its standards and guidelines apply in manufacturing to how they apply in service industries. The USB is found to have implemented an extensive quality management system in order to attain various academic accreditations, most notably EQUIS accreditation. Thus from an academic perspective there would be little to gain from USB implementing ISO 9001: 2000, even though the standard is perfectly suited for academic environments. Where advantages would most likely be realised is in the peripheral business and support functions of the USB. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die aangesig van toenemende mededinging moet bestuurskole gereeld die kwaliteit van diens wat hulle aan huidige en voomemende studente bied, evalueer. Die mees veelseggende faktor in 'n organisasie se prestasie is hoe die kwaliteit van sy produkte en dienste vergelyk met die van sy mededingers. Die meet van die kwaliteit diens wat 'n organisasie lewer is 'n funksie van die tevredestelling van kliente, wat op sy beurt weer gebaseer is op insig tot die wyse waarop die diens ooreenstem met die oorspronklike verwagtinge daarvan. ISO 9000 sertifikasie word algemeen aanvaar in industrie as 'n betroubare maatstaf waarteen kwalitieit gemeet word. Vir akademiese instellings is die de facto metode om vertroue te wek in die kwaliteit van die opleiding wat hulle aanbied, deur middel van akademiese akkreditasie. Vir die Universiteit van Stellenbosch Bestuurskool (USB) is dit in die lig van hulle akademiese akkreditasie onduidelik wat die voordele verbonde aan die implementering van ISO standaardisering binne die organisasie sou wees. Die reeks ISO 9000 is 'n stel kwaliteitstandaarde, waarvan ISO 900 I: 2000 een is, en is hoofsaaklik gemoeid met die proses van kwaliteitsbestuur. Dit bemoei hom met die stappe wat 'n organisasie neem om klientebevrediging te bevorder deur die bereiking van die vereistes van beide sy kliente en die toepasbare voorskrifte. Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat 'n onderworpenheid aan ISO standaarde geensins die bedoeling het om die kwaliteit van 'n produk of diens te waarborg nie - die oogmerk is egter om vertroue te wek in die prosesse wat die produk of diens veroorsaak of gelewer het. Deur die toepasbaarheid van ISO 9000 in die diensbedryfte evalueer, is dit vasgestel dat daar inderdaad min verskil is tussen die wyse waarop hierdie standaarde en riglyne van toepassing is in die vervaardigingsektor en hoe dit toegepas word in diensbedrywe. Dit is vasgestel dat USB 'n verreikende kwaliteitsbestuursisteem in werking het om verskeie akademiese akkreditasies te bekom, veral die EQUIS akkreditasie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat daar vanuit 'n akademiese oogpunt min rede is vir USB om ISO 900 I: 2000 te implementeer, selfs al is hierdie standaard goed van toepassing op 'n akademiese omgewing. Waar dit tot sy beste voordeel toegepas kan word, is in die omliggende sake- en ondersteuningsfunksies van USB.

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Student dropout at higher education institutions in South Africa is an aspect that is receiving increasing attention from the various role-players who have an interest in this aspect due to the negative influence it has on students, higher education institutions, and the economy of the country. Higher education institutions that offer agriculture as a course of study also have to deal with this problem. Approximately one quarter of the students who are admitted at most agricultural training institutions are forced to discontinue their studies or do so voluntarily. Most of these cessations of study occur during or near the end of the first year of study. The cessation of studies is not the only negative aspect. The low pass rate of students at higher education institutions in South Africa is also alarming. The main object of this study was to ascertain why students discontinued their studies and why they took longer than the minimum time allowed to complete their studies. In order to substantiate this theory, an attempt was made to obtain both an international and a national perspective of the student dropout rate in general, as well as to determine what factors were responsible or contributed to successful completion of their studies by students. A background perspective of agricultural education in South Africa was included. The literature reviews are supplemented by a qualitative investigation of students who discontinued their studies specifically at agricultural higher education institutions. A case study approach was employed, in which an in-depth interview strategy was utilised to obtain descriptive and illustrative data. The study demonstrated that dropout rates can be attributed mainly to academic and/or social factors. These factors prevented adequate integration, which is essential to successful studies, from occurring. Various academic factors may be the reason for inadequate academic integration, of which the most important were unclear objectives, a lack of motivation, wrong academic expectations, a misconception of hard work, as well as a lack of the necessary explanatory knowledge in the agricultural study field. New students’ academic adjustment appeared to be the most problematic factor. It appeared that new students were insufficiently prepared to make the adjustment, and in fact, less prepared for this step than was generally the case in the past. Ineffective social integration was the result of too little student participation in social activities or the absence of adequate opportunities for social activities at agricultural training institutions. Unbalanced and unhealthy social activities were often the major factors that contributed to student dropout. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that non-academic factors such as inadequate accommodation or financial problems were not significant causative factors for student dropout, but rather non-academic factors such as unbalanced or unhealthy social activities and poor time management. After the probable causes for student dropout had been established, a theoretical framework was created that could offer possible explanation for the student dropout rates at agricultural training institutions. The framework was created to establish student dropout from a longitudinal perspective, and not only to explain the phenomenon as a result of what had occurred during the time that the student was at the institution. The framework was therefore designed to explain student dropout against the background of the student, together with various factors that were related to students or the institution and which were responsible for inadequate integration. From this framework it was possible to develop individual models for specific agricultural training institutions or for one specific institution in respect of the dropout phenomenon.

The Student Support and Development Services (SSDS) at Further Education and Training (FET) colleges represent a holistic and systemic approach to addressing barriers to learning and development. College SSDS are based on the acknowledgement that all FET students need support and development and that, when addressing needs of the college student, it is done in a holistic, integrated, intersectional and inclusive manner.<br /> <br /> The SSDS therefore strive to develop competencies, knowledge, skills and attitudes in a systemic and holistic manner. The aim of the study was to design, implement and evaluate SSDS at the FET colleges in the Western Cape Education Department and to establish a Lecturer Support and Development Team (LSDT) at each FET college, which would include the following services.<br /> <br /> <ul> <li>student counselling services</li> <li>academic development and learning support</li> <li>occupationald evelopmenat nd careerg uidance</li> <li>life skills education and health education, and</li> <li>college institutional development</li> </ul> Student counselling services at FET colleges aim to render comprehensive student services with a holistic developmental aspect of the student in relation to his/her social, emotional, physical and cognitive dimensions. The staff of the LSDT are the first line of contact for the troubled student. Academic development is aimed at the students who enter the FET sector with inadequate schooling, education and training. Orientation programmes include bridging the gap between schooling and FET education and training. Bridging programmes and remedial programmes are offered to students to compensate for their academic backlog and to accelerate their education and training up to a level suitable for FET.