South Africa was represented by UKZN College of Health Sciences (CHS) Student Support Services (SSS) Manager, Dr Saloschini Pillay, at the European Universities and Colleges Associations annual conference held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in November 2023.
This was in her capacity as a board member representing South Africa on the NASPA Global Divisional Board and the Coordinator of the Member Engagement committee. 150 delegates from universities across the globe met at the Perrotis College- American Farm School to deliberate on strategies and skills for student success. Delegates offered enriching discussions, shared experiences, knowledge and innovative pandemic and post pandemic strategies within student affairs and services [SAS]. Student Affairs professionals all over the world, are focused on planning and delivering an all embracing positive student experience to advance student success.
Pillay noted that globally, Student Affairs and Services like the South African counterparts are considered the front-line support and the port of call for all students entering higher education. She added that Student Affairs professionals engage students at the most critical transitions within Higher education and shape the student experience. The pandemic highlighted the strengths and the challenges within SAS. A primary challenge shared globally was resource allocation to SAS and the increase in mental health presentations amongst university students. She noted that Southern Africa still has to develop a consulted competency framework for Student Affairs and services and strengthen the drive to professionalize SAS.
Pillay, who is the inaugural President of the Southern African Federation for Student Affairs and Services, was also recently elected as the President of the Southern African Association for Counselling and Development in Higher Education in September 2023. She is passionate about student affairs and student development and has published a chapter with her global counterparts, in the “Global Handbook on Student Affairs and Services”.
Pillay is grateful to the College of Health Sciences leadership for supporting her participation at the conference and considers the CHS to be forward thinking and visionary, when it comes to supporting students. The College leadership supported her recent Senior Management Development studies at the Stellenbosch University Business School, at which she excelled and secured a scholarship to pursue post graduate students at University of Lincoln, Business School in the UK.