Student centredness key to the changing university student health landscape

Mandela University hosted the three-day conference from 7 to 9 January at the Boardwalk Conference Centre.

SAACHS is a professional association that represent higher education institutions that provide primary and occupational campus health care. It promotes collaboration, patient-centred multidisciplinary care, research contributions and cost-effective, high-quality practice through continuous evaluation.

Dr Sibusiso Mchunu

Dr Mchunu emphasised synergies between the different departments and compared the system to a human body, where the parts are interdependent on one another in his address entitled “Recognition of interdependencies within Student Services enable more effective responses to student needs”.

Students perceive the university as a whole entity where, for example, even if the university’s security is outsourced, the security staff are still viewed as being part of the university and reflecting the university values.

The same is true of clinics and health services, which are not isolated from the general perception, Dr Mchunu stressed.

Furthermore, the hostels of the 1960s has developed from the parenting phase to the student developmental phase and into the integrated support phase, now in the 21^st century. At some universities campus health facilities are available even in residences.

Dr Mchunu further mentioned that it has been said that 70% of the time, student learning takes place outside the classroom, therefore a new intergenerational conversation is crucial - especially, where students now read up about medical conditions online, diagnosing themselves and putting pressure on the role of campus health services.

These examples highlight the need for creative engagements to hear the voice of students, reaching out to individual opinions and participative decision-making, even curriculum involvement.

Student centredness is key to the operating model, including the co-curriculum activities to formalise, for example, their health and wellness programmes.  

First year experience programme is equally important as students expect to be integrated academic and socially, which could prevent first years dropping out. This is also when graduate attributes should be fostered and not at the end of their studies.

Dr Mchunu concluded that the student experience necessitates a total system, including all the divisions, melding the whole university too, as the educational process is a lifelong journey.

Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia

Higher Health CEO Prof Ramneek Ahluwalia in his address shared the work of Higher Health.

Higher Health is a national agency developing and implementing a range of health, wellness and psychosocial services across 420 campus sites and rural, informal and urban settings, in all 52 districts across South Africa.

The reality is that rural South Africa is not well-resourced and therefore SAACHS must grow, as some areas of the country are comparatively less resourced by the Department of Health than others and they need more support, Prof Ahluwalia implored the audience.

SAACHS has recently reached NPO status, which means that the organisation can receive funding from Higher Health to grow, he said.

Universities should lead and publish if they can, as the “bigger brother” to TVETs and community education colleges and the proximity of their systems. Some 1800 community education colleges are situated in rural areas.

Prof Ahluwalia stated that 85% of jobs success comes from soft skills and therefore in support the QTCO accredited civic and soft skills programme with an outcome level of NQF 5, has been established.

The programme includes gender equity and inclusion, mental health and emotional intelligence, financial and digital literacy and good citizenship. Contributing to both social and mental health the programme supports the aim of the Department of Health to be more focused on prevention than medication, as it is all interconnected, he said.

The online programme is also based on peer-to-peer teach-one-reach-10 and linked to the sustainable goals of UNESCO and SAQA.

This skills programme with a pass rate of 95% will also improve students’ marks and their job success, decrease entry to campus clinics and hospitals and provide psychosocial assistance.

Prof Ahluwalia further stated that Gender-Based Violence has become a social epidemic and needs SAACHS, medical and legal support. Working together towards safer outcomes and a protocol system are crucial.

Other Mandela University speakers included:

• Professor Kerry-Lynn Thomson - Information Technology’s: Cyber Safety and Digital Well-being
• Emelda Lewis - Acting Deputy Director of Student Health Services: Evaluating the Impact of Hand Hygiene Practices on Infection Rates Among University Students
• Prof Darelle van Greunen - Director of the Centre for Community Technologies (CCT): AI and the technology enabled healthcare worker
• Professor Wilma ten Ham-Baloyi - Nursing Science - Mental Health Matters: Promoting Well-Being for Health Workers and Academics on University Campuses and
• Dr Phumeza Kota-Nyati - Dean of Learning and Teaching: The Nelson Mandela Safe House Project.
• Student Development Officer Yanga Lusasa was the programme director.