UKZN Student Support Services Manager Wins Global Award

UKZN Student Support Services Manager Wins Global Award. Dr. Saloschini Pillay, the Student Support Services manager at the College of Health Sciences (CHS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), has been honored with a prestigious global award from Hyland UK. This accolade highlights her groundbreaking work in developing and implementing an innovative automated system that supports first-time university students, focusing on their overall well-being.

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Innovative Student Support System

Dr. Pillay’s award-winning project is the Student Wellness and Academic Transformation (Swat) assessment and intervention system. This system plays a crucial role in identifying and addressing factors that affect student success beyond the academic realm. “This model taps into all facets of a student’s life, not just the academics,” Dr. Pillay explained. “We are not tracking pass and fail marks; we are looking at the whole student.”

Comprehensive Approach to Student Well-being

The Swat system engages with students to enhance their motivation and continually reminds them of their well-being, which is essential for effective teaching and learning. The automated system identifies at-risk students by assessing their general well-being and provides automated referrals for timely interventions, ensuring students receive the support they need when they need it most.

Evolution of the Swat System

The Swat system has come a long way since its inception in 2005. Initially developed as a paper-based system with manual administration during lectures, it has evolved into a sophisticated hybrid tool. “The evolution included moving from paper-based, contact sessions to name changes, guided by students’ perceptions, and transitioning to online platforms and tools to track and monitor student wellness,” Dr. Pillay noted. In 2022, UKZN piloted the Swat solution using the OnBase platform, developed by Hyland UK.

Global Recognition and Impact

The accolade from Hyland UK celebrates the best implementation of a digital solution for student support and wellness. The Swat system has gained international acclaim, with many higher education institutions recognizing its significant benefits for their own student success programs. Dr. Pillay has presented this model to institutions in Germany and South Korea and has been invited to present in Malta and New Orleans.

Conclusion

Dr. Saloschini Pillay’s innovative work at UKZN has not only enhanced the well-being and success of students at her university but has also set a benchmark for higher education institutions globally. Her dedication and forward-thinking approach in developing the Swat system have rightly earned her this prestigious global award from Hyland UK.