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SciMathUS – a University Preparation Programme
#ChangingLives
Established in 2001 with a mere 40 students partaking, the SciMathUS Programme has grown to help 1 697 young people change the trajectory of their lives. No fewer than 398 students have gone on to obtain a first degree at Stellenbosch University (SU), and we have awarded 124 postgraduate degrees, including four doctorates, to SciMathUS alumni.
Sustainability is key
To celebrate the programme’s 20-year milestone we have launched a fundraising initiative to ensure the sustainability of this incredibly worthy programme. SciMathUS is fully dependant on philanthropic donations to ensure that students from educationally disadvantaged environments get a second chance to improve their National Senior Certificate marks in mathematics and physical sciences, or accounting. Together with the University’s Development and Alumni Relations Division we want to ensure that SciMathUS grows from strength to strength, and we need your support to make this vision a reality. Prof Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor adds: “With YOUR help, we can ensure that many more young people from under-resourced environments gain access to higher education and become economically active citizens contributing to the knowledge economy.” Click here
to see Prof De Villiers’s endorsement of our initiative.
A programme of national importance
A cause for great concern on a national level is that the pool of students that can be selected for degrees that require mathematics and/or physical sciences has become very limited. In addition, the transition from school to university poses several challenges for students who are not adequately prepared for university studies and this in turn, negatively impacts the successful completion of their university degrees. To address these problems, SciMathUS aims to afford students who have already passed their final NSC examination, but did not qualify for admission into higher education or selected programmes with high entry requirements (such as engineering, medicine, etc.), a second opportunity to improve their NSC results. With these improved results students may reapply to be admitted to higher education institutions the following year. “Learners from disadvantaged, under-resourced schools in both rural and urban areas are most affected by the challenges that the South African education system is plagued with. This leads to a situation where these groups of learners are under-represented at South African universities,” says Nokwanda Siyego, Head of the SciMathUS Programme.
The SciMathUS concept
SciMathUS is a year-long, holistic, intensive academic programme that includes the development of foundational skills to prepare students for higher education. Each student also receives mentorship and psycho-social support. The objective of the programme is to enhance the chance of participating students to enter higher education institutions and to thus form a critical mass of highly skilled black professionals who could add value to any science, engineering, economic and technology based human capital endeavour. This programme is offered in line with Stellenbosch University's commitment to diversify its student corps.
You can make a difference
We invite all those near and dear to this absolutely essential programme at Stellenbosch University to support our bid to ensure its sustainability. No contribution is too small. The patronage of our Matie community is what carries us through the really tough times and with your support we can continue to build a much-needed critical mass of highly skilled professionals.
SciMathUS is ideally positioned to assist in making a real difference while offering attractive B-BBEE partnerships and scorecard points for businesses; points for either the Skills Development or the Socio-Economic Development pillars are eligible. *
*Your verification agency will confirm the points you are eligible for.
Contact us
Liaison: Sonia Schoeman, Development Officer: Development and Alumni Relations, Stellenbosch University
Landline: +27 21 808 2830
Email: scimathus@sun.ac.za
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SciMathus
Webpage: http://www.sun.ac.za/english/f...
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SciMathUS – ‘n Universiteitsvoorbereidingsprogram
#ChangingLives
Die SciMathUS program is in 2001 op die been gebring met ‘n groep van 40 studente en tot op hede het dit so gegroei dat dit die lewens van 1 697 jongmense radikaal verander het. ‘n Totaal van 398 studente het al ‘n eerste graad aan die US behaal en ons kan spog met 124 nagraadse kwalifikasies, insluitend vier doktorsgrade.
Volhoubaarheid
Om die program se 20ste bestaansjaar te vier, stuur ons ‘n fondsinsamelingsinisiatief van stapel om die volhoubaarheid van hierdie program te verseker. SciMathUS is ten volle afhanklik van filantropiese skenkings sodat studente afkomstig van skole in opvoedkundig-benadeelde gebiede ‘n tweede kans kry om hul Nasionale Senior Sertifikaat (NSS) punte in Wiskunde en Fisiese Wetenskappe of Rekeningkunde verbeter. Tesame met die Universiteit se Afdeling Ontwikkeling en Alumnibetrekkinge wil ons seker maak dat SciMathUS van krag tot krag gaan en ons het jou ondersteuning nodig om hierdie visie ‘n realiteit te maak. Prof Wim de Villiers, die US se Rektor en Visekanselier voeg by: “Met JOU ondersteuning kan ons verseker dat baie meer jongmense uit agtergeblewe gemeenskappe toegang tot hoër onderwys kry en ekonomies aktiewe burgers word wat ‘n bydrae tot die kennisekonomie kan lewer.” Klik hier om Prof de Villiers se ondersteuning vir ons program te sien.
‘n Program van nasionale waarde
‘n Rede tot groot kommer op nasionale vlak is dat die poel van studente vir grade wat Wiskunde en/of Fisiese Wetenskappe vereis, jaarliks verminder. Hiermee gepaardgaande bring die oorgang van skool na universiteit verskeie uitdagings mee vir studente wat nie die nodige grondslag vir universiteitsstudies het nie. Om hierdie probleem die hoof te bied, gee SciMathUS studente wat reeds hul NSS eksamens geslaag het, maar nie kwalifiseer vir toelating tot hoër onderwys programme met hoë slaagvereistes (medies, ingenieurswese, ens), ‘n tweede kans om hul NSS punte te verbeter. Met hul verbeterde punte kan studente heraansoek doen om toegelaat te word tot hoër onderwys instellings in die daaropvolgende jaar. “Leerders uit hulpbronarm-skole in lae-inkomste gemeenskappe in beide landelik en stedelike omgewings word die ergste geraak deur die uitdagings in die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel. Dit gee aanleiding tot ‘n situasie waar hierdie studente nie behoorlik verteenwoordig word in Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite nie,” sê Nokwanda Siyengo, Programbestuurder by SciMathUS.
Die SciMathUS-konsep
SciMathUS is 'n jaar lange, holistiese, intensiewe akademiese program wat die ontwikkeling van fundamentele vaardighede insluit om studente vir hoër onderwys voor te berei. Elke student kry ook mentorskap en psigososiale ondersteuning. Die doel van die program is om die kans te vergroot dat studente hoër onderwys instellings betree en sodoende 'n kritieke massa van hoogs bekwame professionele persone in enige wetenskap, ingenieurswese, finansies en ekonomie, tegnologie, en mediese veld in ons land op te bou. Hierdie program word aangebied in ooreenstemming met die Universiteit Stellenbosch se strewe na ‘n diverse studentekorps met die potensiaal om suksesvol te wees, en om akademiese uitnemendheid deur diversiteit te bevorder.
Jy kan 'n verskil maak
Ons nooi alle belanghebbendes uit om die volhoubaarheid van die SciMathUS-program te verseker. Geen bydrae is te klein nie. Ons Matie-gemeenskap dra ons gewoonlik deur die moeilike tye en met jou ondersteuning kan ons voortgaan om 'n broodnodige massa van hoogs bekwame professionele persone in enige wetenskap, ingenieurswese, finansies en ekonomie, tegnologie en mediese veld in ons land op te bou.
SciMathUS is ideaal geposisioneer om 'n daadwerklike verskil te maak, terwyl dit aantreklike B-BBEE-vennootskappe en punte vir ondernemings bied; punte vir vaardigheidsontwikkeling- of sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling is hier ter sprake.*
*Die punte waarvoor die maatskappy in aanmerking kom moet deur ʼn agentskap geverifieer word.
Kontak Ons
Sonia Schoeman, Ontwikkelingsbeampte: Ontwikkeling en Alumnibetrekkinge, Universiteit Stellenbosch
Landlyn: +27 21 808 2830
E-pos: scimathus@sun.ac.za
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SciMathus
Webblad: http://www.sun.ac.za/english/f...