Thousands of new first-year students, who have been selected to study at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), their parents and guardians as well as senior students, will be welcomed by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ihron Rensburg on Friday, 31 January 2014. The welcoming event is scheduled to take place from 09:00 to 11:00 at the Ellis Park Arena (Old Standard Bank Arena), Doornfontein, Johannesburg.
The welcoming event follows a two-week orientation programme that saw thousands of first-year students strutting bright orange branded UJ shoelaces, after they attended an informative and compulsory First Year Seminar programme that oriented new students with campus life and the wide range of academic development and support services the University offers. These shoelaces are a reminder of UJ’s commitment to support its first-time entering students during their transition from school to university and UJ’s commitment to walk their journey with them.
In 2013, the University demonstrated this commitment to support its first-time entering students from school-to-university transition and produced one of the highest number of first-year top achievers since the inception of UJ. Furthermore, in 2013 the success rate for first-time entering undergraduate students was an astounding 81.6%.
The feat is mainly due to the better selection of first time entrants and the First Year Experience Programme (FYE), an initiative with intensified staff focus and greater student awareness, offering academic skills reinforcement with an accent on students mentoring fellow students. The 1 285 student tutors, selected from third-year level, and up, do well academically, are good communicators, identify with students’ needs and act as an interface between students and teaching staff.
In similar vein, UJ also introduced academic advisors in university residences and approved off-campus accommodation facilities. Under UJ’s Academic Excellence Programme, 250 student advisors are serving first-years in 28 residences.
The University’s 2013 best performing, most improved, and best overall performing residence in academic excellence will also be announced at the 2014 Academic welcoming.
Because UJ realises that the quality of life and student experience matters as much as the academic performance, the new first-year students will also be taking their Student Pledge as part of the Be Fit 4 the Future campaign, also known among UJ students as Bf4f. This campaign prepares each student for the brightest future and teaches them how to be upstanding citizens; by recognising that embodying the qualities of a UJ graduate will make them leaders who in turn make a meaningful contribution in their communities – both locally and globally.
In addition, close to 2500 international students representing 87 countries from around the world will be welcomed to the University at the Kingsway Auckland Park Campus at 2pm on Friday, 31 January 2014.
