Defining student success is more than just attaining a university degree. It is about preparing young adults for responsible and responsive global citizenship.
Professor Jonathan Jansen, former Vice-Chancellor at the University of the Free State (UFS) and Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University, believes academic success is a must, but only one measure of success.
“Personal transformation is key. In a country scarred by racism, sexism, and xenophobia, you have to extend the meaning of success beyond the traditional metric of academic performance.”
Professor Elizabeth Balbachevsky, from the Department of Political Science at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, is of the view that academic success, “expanding your knowledge, your ability to learn and use that in the practical world is the core vision of the university. But changing the way people see the world is also very important.”
Professor Hans De Wit, Emeritus Professor and Distinguished Fellow, Centre for International Higher Education, Boston College, says student success for academic institutions means more than graduation. “There are more important aspects that we’ve underestimated in student success: they also have to be good citizens; to be prepared in a society that is more inclusive, and diverse”.