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Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS)

WELCOME TO THE CENTRE FOR STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Sadag Toll-free Crisis Helpline number: 0800 222 333

The Centre for Student Support Services provides multifaceted, student-centered co-curricular engagement opportunities and professional services. All offerings are evidence-based and aim to enhance the quality of life, holistic wellness, experience and success of students.

The focus is to engage students’ potential in order to assist them in achieving their personal and academic goals, and to develop responsible and responsive citizens of the future.


About

The Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS) develops an exciting, stimulating and supportive campus environment, which enhances student learning on multiple levels.

Established with the goal to support the university’s core mandate, The Centre for Student Support Services provides multifaceted, student-centered co-curricular engagement opportunities and professional services. All offerings are evidence-based and aim to enhance the quality of life, holistic wellness, experience and success of students.

The focus is to engage students’ potential in order to assist them in achieving their personal and academic goals, and to develop responsible and responsive citizens of the future.

The CSSS provides broad student-centered development and professional services, programmes, training opportunities and resources aimed at enhancing students’ academic experience, graduate attributes and quality of life.

We conduct research and engage with national issues and debates to provide a cutting edge service. We have dynamic professionals, who provide​ high quality, free and confidential services.

The services and best practices ignite and enable students’ potential to fulfil their academic goals and to become responsible and responsive citizens. 
 

Our Vision

The team most recognised for co-creating possibilities for success through world-class professional student support.
 

Our Mission

​Professionally support the holistic development of students to ignite and enable their full potential to become successful citizens​. 

Core Values

In support of our vision and mission, the CSSS commits itself to create an enabling environment for staff and students to become change agents based on the practice of the following guiding values: ​
  • Ethical care & Inclusive practice 
  • Excellence 
  • Accountability 
  • Integrity & Trust 
  • Respect 
  • Collaboration 
  • Social Justice 


Meet the Management Team


 

Centre for Student Support Services 2019 Team Photo

The Offices of CSSS



The Office of Leadership and Social Responsibility (LSR) is undergirded by the principles of “Creating the change, Leading the change and Sustaining the change”.

These principles in turn inform the programmes, volunteerism as well as engagement opportunities of the office. LSR provides leadership development opportunities in the form of four programmes namely:
  1. Pathway for Life
  2. InitiAct
  3. Emerging Leaders Programme
  4. Advanced Leaders Programme
These programmes are shaped by the four pillars of leadership, which are General leadership, Personal development, Creating sustaining networks and Practical project skills. 

The volunteerism opportunities include the Rise Against Hunger (RAH) food packing events and Mandela day activities which supports the social responsibility imperative of the office where students are able and impact communities through being part of various volunteer initiatives. 

Through its transformative projects, the Office facilitates the development of effective leaders, socially responsible and responsive global citizens and ambassadors. 

The range of co-curricular opportunities enhances the potential for internal and external community, stakeholder engagement and capacity building.

Contact 

Email: sla@uwc.ac.za
Tel: +27 21 959 9755
Location: Third Floor, Student Centre, UWC Main Campus, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville



The Office for Academic Support (OAS) aims to be a leader in optimising students’ potential for academic success and holistic development, to facilitate their employability and engagement as global citizens.

To do so, OAS offers initiatives that are effective, flexible, creative and student-centered. The Office works re-actively and proactively; it responds to student requests while effectively collaborating with on-campus stakeholders.

OAS offers individual coaching that includes learning skills, career guidance and personal mastery. Its Graduate Development Programme (GDP) supports first-year students and it is integrated into the curriculum. The Office also works with data analytics to facilitate the support and success of senior undergraduate students. 

The OAS created an innovative Learning and Development environment for quality student centred practices in its individual academic coaching as well as three vibrant flagship programmes:
  1. The Graduate Development (GDP)
  2. Making Your Mark through Mapworks (MYM) 
  3. Individual Academic Coaching

Contact

Email: csss@uwc.ac.za
Tel: +27 21 959 2299
Location: Second floor, former CHS Faculty Building, UWC Main Campus, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville



The Office for Students with Disabilities facilitates universal access to higher education for students with disabilities at UWC. As the Office strives to ensure that all students registered with the Office receive the same opportunities as their classmates, the services are broadly targeted at three levels: 
  1.  Supporting prospective students in their pre-university phase;
  2.  Facilitating a successful transition into UWC for registered students by providing individualised support; and
  3.  Enhancing the employability profile of students and graduates. Built on the principles of social justice OSwD engages students as partners for advocacy and success.
​​​​​OSwD is committed to partner with students to empower them to engage optimally in all aspects of student life, both academic and co-curricular, for them to grow into confident and competent graduates, able to make a meaningful difference in society.

The Office for Students with Disabilities provides reasonable disability-specific accommodations, which includes: 
  • Conversion of academic material into various formats for blind, visually impaired and learning impaired students
  • Overseeing departmental tests and exam procedures requiring specific disability accommodations in partnership with all faculties across UWC
The OSwD computer lab equipped with assistive technology to support students with various disabilities such as visual impairment, blind and learning impaired students. 

Contact

Email: oswd@uwc.ac.za
Tel: +27 21 959 4170
Location: Ground Floor, former CHS Faculty Building, UWC Main Campus, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville
Contact our office for disability parking in advance, if you require access when visiting. 



The Office for Therapeutic Services (TS) provides counselling interventions, with the aims of restoring and/or enhancing academic functioning of registered UWC students. 

The Office does so with short-term and solution-focused counselling interventions that address multiple layers of psychosocial traumas or challenges that impair optimal academic functioning. 

Additionally, the Office also provides group counselling interventions, psycho-educational workshops, mental health awareness talks and campaigns with students and staff. 

Therapeutic Services is also an Accredited Psychology Internship Training site, registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), with its primary mandate of providing contextually and culturally relevant counselling. 

Contact/Referral Information

Email: csss@uwc.ac.za
Tel: +27 21 959 2299
 

Contact

Laetitia Permall

Tel: 021 959 2299
Email: csss@uwc.ac.za