Stellenbosch University
Welcome to Stellenbosch University
First-year Achievement Awards
Author: Jean Lee Farmer
Published: 15/09/2021

​The 13th annual First-year Achievement Awards event for the 2020 academic year, hosted by Prof Deresh Ramjugernath (Deputy Vice-Chancellor:  Learning and Teaching), was presented as a virtual event via Microsoft Teams for the second year in a row on 9 September.

The First Year Achievement Awards aim to recognise top performing first-year students within each faculty as well as the lecturers who had a positive influence on the academic experience of these students as nominated by each of these top performing first year students.  The list of students and lecturers who received awards is available here.

Even though it was a virtual event, the interaction and excitement were almost tangible. Via the chat function attendees expressed pride and virtual applause as the names of the awarded students and lecturers were announced per faculty by the Master of Ceremonies, Dr Antoinette van der Merwe (Senior Director: Learning and Teaching Enhancement).

The guest speaker of the evening, Emerita Professor from the FMHS, Julia Blitz, presented us all with a pensive and provocative address entitled “Lift as you Rise". She encouraged students to “broaden your experiences" and not “setting yourselves apart" as the 6% who achieve degrees in South Africa, but rather to “engage in activities" and communicate with a “range of people" outside of higher education. She said that this is where we “can learn from". Prof Blitz encouraged the institution towards embracing a learning-centered approach which enables all students to co-create knowledge and empowers them to be locally as well as globally engaged. She further urged all top students and lecturers to assist and share with those less successful in their academic studies as this, rather than top marks, could become our “greatest success".  (A copy of the speech is available here.)

The evening drew to a close with a rolling PowerPoint presentation depicting the students and lecturers and a range of positive, encouraging conversations in the chat.

Congratulations to all awardees and continue to “Lift as you Rise"!

The recording of the event is available here.

IsiXhosa follows

First-year Achievement Awards
Eerstejaarsprestasietoekennings
IiMbasa zokuWonga iMpumelelo yaBafundi boNyaka wokuqala

ZONYAKA-MFUNDO KA-2020 yaye ZINIKEZELWA NGE-9 SEPTEMBA 2021 

Itheko le-13 laminyaka le lokuWongwa Kwempumelelo Yabo Bakunyaka Wokuqala, lisingathwa nguNjing. Deresh Ramjugernath (oliSekela Nqununu:  icandelo Lokufunda Nokufundisa), liye laqhutywa kumajelo onxibelelwano ngeMicrosoft Teams yaye ngunyaka wesibini lo kuqhutywa ngolo hlobo. 

IiMbasa Zokuwongwa Kwempumelelo Yabakunyaka Wokuqala ijoliswe ekugqaleni abafundi abaphume phambili abakunyaka wokuqala kwifakhalthi nganye kwakunye nabahlohli abaye banefuthe elibalaseleyo kumava aba bafundi kwezemfundo njengoko amagama abo ephakanyiswe nguye ngamnye kwaba bafundi bonyaka wokuqala baphumelele emagqabini.  Uluhlu lwabafundi kunye nabahlohli abafumene amabhaso luyafumaneka apha​.

Nangona ibilitheko eliqhutywa kumajelo oqhagamshelwano, unxibelelwano nemincili belulolokoqobo. Besebenzisa icandelo lokuncokola, abebekho baye babonisa ukuziva benelunda ngokuqhwaba kweli jelo lonxibelelwano njengoko amagama abafundi nabahlohli abawongwayo ebebhengezwa ngokweefakhalthi nguMphathi-theko, uGqr. Antoinette van der Merwe (uMlawuli Oyintloko: Ukuphuculwa Kokufunda Nokufundisa). 

Isithethi sembeko sengokuhlwa, uNjingalwazi Odla Umhlala-phantsi waseFMHS, uJulia Blitz, uye wasinika sonke intetho evus' ingqondo nexhokonx' iingcinga enomxholo othi “Phakamisa Njengoko uNyuka". Uye wakhuthaza abafundi ukuba “benze banzi amava abo" yaye “bangazikhethi" njenge-6% yabo bafumana izidanga eMzantsi Afrika, kodwa “babandakanyeke kwimisebenzi" baze banxibelelane “nabantu abahlukeneyo" abangekho kwimfundo ephakamileyo. Uthe  “singafunda" kule nto. UNjing Blitz uye wakhuthaza eli ziko ukuba likhuthaze ukufunda nto leyo eyenza bonke abafundi bancedisane ekwakheni ulwazi nokubaxhobisa ukuba babandakanyeke kweli lizwe nasehlabathini. Uhlabele mgama ebongoza bonke abafundi abaphumelele emagqabini nabahlohli ukuba bancede baze babelane nabo bangapumelelanga kangako kwizifundo zabo, njengokuba le nto, ngaphandle kwamanqaku aphezulu, kunokuba “yeyona mpumelelo inkulu".  Ikopi yentetho iyafumaneka apha​.

loo nkqubo yangokuhlwa ivalwe ngemifanekiso yePowerPoint ezihambelayo ebonisa abafundi nabahlohli nothotho lwamagqabaza akhuthazayo kwicandelo lokuncokola.

Sithi huntshu kubo bonke abawongiweyo nize niqhubeke “Niphakamisa njengoko Ninyuka"!

​Ushicilelo komsitho luyafumaneka apha​.