Key objectives: To bring together people who have a common purpose to learn from each other and form networks and alliances that can enhance both our individual and collective impact.

Overarching theme: What have been the impacts of Covid on our students and our work – both challenges and opportunities? How did we cope? What have we trialed? What have we learned?  What do we take forward into this new post-Covid reality?

Target audience: Higher education holistic student support staff – practitioners, managers, M & E. Primarily aiming at NBSPF personnel but also open to corporates, NPOs, DHET, NSFAS and HEI staff.

Methodology: A mixture of plenary sessions looking at big picture contextual issues utilizing keynote speakers and a student panel, as well as breakaway workshop sessions, primarily utilizing our own staff making an initial prepared presentation, but with an emphasis on interaction, peer learning and sharing of experiences in a non-hierarchical style. Lesson learned from previous conference that ‘less is more’, and we should not try to over burden the programme with content but allow time for discussion and engagement.

Please note the University has a vaccination mandate, which means both the vaccination certificate and the negative PCR test can gain you entry. The university conditions are as follows:

• Fully vaccinated (i.e. you have had your 2 jabs) visitors have to produce the electronic copy of the vaccination certificate at the gate in order to gain entry.
• Partially vaccinated (i.e. you have had 1 jab and you are due for the 2^nd jab after 21 days) visitors can gain entry provided 21 days haven’t lapsed since the 1^st jab.
• None vaccinated visitors can gain entry provided they can produce a negative PCR test that is not older than 7 days.

Conference Programme: Click to —-> Download the programme