UNIVERSITEIT  STELLENBOSCH  UNIVERSITY
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Narrative accompanying the updated
Institutional Enrolment Planning Statement and Plans
of Stellenbosch University
for the period 2011 - 2013
Approved by the Rector’s Management Team
22 November 2010
Enquiries:
Prof Jan Botha
Senior Director: Institutional Research and Planning
jb3@sun.ac.za
Tel 021 8082720
1. Data sets Tables 1 – 44
On 16 November 2010 the University received a request from the DHET to update
the data in the 44 data sets that we have submitted to the Department in
November 2009, taking into account the outcomes of the meeting between
representatives of the Department and the University on 12 October 2010 and also
taking into account the 2010 enrolments and its effect on the planning for 20112013.
The updated data sets are submitted separately in excel format.
2. The DHET’s requests (communicated to the University on 16 November 2010)
1. Increase growth in Engineering, Animal and Human Health, Teacher Education
and specific postgraduate programmes in the context of existing space
capacity and resources.
2. Increase graduate output in Engineering, Animal and Human Health, targeted
Life and Physical Sciences programmes, and specific postgraduate
programmes.
3. Identify interventions that will improve the academic performance of African
students.
4. Assess whether the University’s infrastructure needs are adequate to provide
an enabling teaching, learning and research environment.
5. It is necessary that the University should identify future infrastructure
requirements (new or improved) based on a needs assessment.
3. Response of the University
3.1 Increase growth in Engineering, Animal and Human Health, Teacher
Education and specific postgraduate programmes in the context of existing space
capacity and resources.
This request of the DHET is in line with the University’s existing enrolment
planning aimed at the 2015-targets approved by the University Council in February
2009 and adapted in July 2010 by the Rector’s Management Team. This planning
provides for a growth of 22,4% in enrolments in Engineering for the period 20102013 (24,96% at undergraduate level and 10,2% as postgraduate level). A growth
of 13,51% in enrolments in Health Sciences is planned for 2010-2013 - 3,07% at
undergraduate level and -8,99% at postgraduate level. The decline at
postgraduate enrolments in Health Sciences is mainly due to an expected decline
in enrolments in certain postgraduate diploma programmes (such as nursing
education) that have grown rapidly in recent years but are expected to reach
certain saturation levels in the target group. In Education the University plans for a
growth of 1.38% in undergraduate enrolments. The enrolment planning already
approved by the University therefore addresses the requests of the Department to
increase growth in these areas.
3.2 Increase graduate output in Engineering, Animal and Human Health, targeted
Life and Physical Sciences programmes, and specific postgraduate programmes.
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The University uses a set of Strategic Management Indicators as well as specific
institutional targets to focus its attention on specific important areas and to monitor
progress. SMI 1d and Institutional Targets 4-6 are specifically related to this
request of the Department. The University’s performance on the SMIs and
Institutional Targets is calculated and published annually and discussed and
attended to at the annual Institutional Planning Forum and various other levels
throughout the institution. Monitoring and management mechanisms as well as
effective support structures are in place at faculty and at institutional levels.

Strategic Management Indicator 1d: Success rate of undergraduate
students. (The weighted average module pass percentage of
undergraduate students in a calendar year where total student enrolments
for the various modules are used as weights. The results of both the midyear and end-of-year exams are taken into account. The report on this SMI
is annually compiled from the examination results captured on the student
database.)

Institutional Target 4: Success rate of first year students (i.e. the pass rate
in all undergraduate modules) to increase from 82% in 2008 to 85% in 2015

Institutional Target 5: Retention rate of first year students (the percentage of
students admitted for the consecutive year) to increase from 86% in 2008 to
88% in 2015

Institutional Target 6: Average time of completion of advanced research
degrees (masters and doctoral) to be reduced with 15% by 2015
3.3 Identify interventions that will improve the academic performance of African
students
Under the auspices of the First Year Academy a range of integrated support
services is provided at faculty and at institutional levels to all students and in
particular to educationally disadvantaged students. The increase in first year
success rates in recent years and the narrowing gap between the success rates of
African and white students can with a definite measure of confidence be attributed
to the activities of the First Year Academy. Detailed FYA reports and planning
documents are annually submitted to the Committee for Learning and Teaching
and to Senate and Council. Building on the success of the FYA similar
interventions are also now being implemented to benefit all undergraduate
students. Furthermore, a restructured institutional Office for Postgraduate and
International Students was established during 2009 to coordinate and enhance a
range of support services provided to postgraduate students.
3.4 Infrastructure needs
A report on the assessment of the adequacy of the University’s infrastructure
undertaken during 2010 accompanied by an indication of infrastructure needs
based on a comprehensive needs assessment and planning process (including
the development of an Infrastructure Master Plan) will be provided to the DHET
separately.
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