The challenges of student affairs at Kenyan public universities

Yakaboski, Tamara; Birnbaum, Matthew

doi:10.14426/jsaa.v1i1-2.34

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The staff is unlikely to focus on the needs of students with disabilities when such students or their needs are not identified and particularly when the student : counsellor or welfare officer ratio is high. The findings compare with previous research which found that reliance on the Welfare Departments to support students and contribute to quality education is undermined by poor resourcing of such departments (Yakaboski & Birnbaum, 2013). Additionally, the university's deployment of academic staff to work as tutors without training them for the responsibility suggests it undermines the role of psychosocial support for student experience (Pansiri & Sinkamba, 2017).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 38%

“…They could provide comprehensive co-curricular and extra-curricular services and programmes that address students' personal needs to enhance student experience (Pansiri & Sinkamba, 2017). However, Yakaboski and Birnbaum (2013) state that student affairs units at Kenyan higher education institutions are under-resourced and therefore deficient in providing required student experience.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Student Experience and Quality of Tertiary Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho

Mosia¹,

Phasha²

2020

JSAA

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Access to tertiary education in the least developed countries, such as Lesotho, continues to be a rare experience for persons with disabilities who, despite being admitted to studies, struggle with meaningful participation. This article explores student experience of persons with disabilities studying at the National University of Lesotho. A combination of convenience and snowballing sampling techniques were used to recruit 15 staff members and 11 students enrolled in various programmes. A combination of individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion were used to generate data. Findings reveal that various dimensions of student experiences are negatively affected. Students with disabilities encounter mobility challenges due to an inaccessible built environment; lecture timetables are not adapted to suit the needs of students with mobility challenges, blind students are not informed of potholes that are left uncovered and the students' request for their hostel to be adapted is not addressed. Additionally, students are not readily supported by their lecturers while some are subjected to bullying which goes unpunished and the victims receive no counselling for the resultant trauma. These factors affect the students' welfare and have an effect on their academic participation. The students are simply expected to conform to university practices. The summary of student experience, if used for assessment of quality education, demonstrates inequitable access to education for persons with disabilities. The study concludes that the institution provides poor-quality education as it fails to address the support needs of students with disabilities. The study recommends development of policies and practices that promote equity, and that student experience can be used to inform how the institution may improve access and the quality of its programmes. Equally, this study challenges students with disabilities to assert their right to an inclusive and equitable quality education.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 38%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student Experience and Quality of Tertiary Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho

Mosia¹,

Phasha²

2020

JSAA

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“…Residence issues are a perennial problem for universities and frequently surface in demands by protesting students (Mugume & Luescher, 2015;Odundo et al, 2015;Yakaboski & Birnbaum, 2013). Students' demands have highlighted issues such as the poor management of residences, a lack of basic facilities, the distance of residences from teaching venues, and rules that compel students to remove their belongings during recess periods (Ajayi et al, 2015;Egwunyenga, 2009;Oke, Aigbavboa & Raphiri, 2017).…”

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confidence: 99%

Diversity Includes Disability: Experiences of Resilience in a University Residence

Duma

2019

JSAA

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The provision of residence accommodation is a persistent challenge that is faced by universities across the globe. However, suitable accommodation for students with disabilities is an even greater challenge that is exacerbated by the absence of appropriately designed, maintained and managed residences. In particular, the adverse impact on wheelchair users and students whose disabilities require specific design adaptations is acute. This article will focus on the experiences of students with disabilities in university residences. The study on which this article is based employed a phenomenological theoretical approach with 'resilience' as the conceptual framework. The findings reveal that many stressors impacted students with disabilities in university residences and that these stressors potentially hampered their performance. However, these students developed personal attributes and ways of responding to the stressors they encountered, and many devised social networks utilisation to address their challenges and navigate institutional barriers. A particular focus was that embracing diversity is crucial for all operations at universities to counteract the discrimination and stigmatisation that are often experienced by students with disabilities.

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Not just academics: Supporting international graduate students at an East African private university

Rasmussen¹

2015

JSAA

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The number of students enrolled in higher education outside their countries of origin increased from 0.8 million in 1975, to 2.1 million in 2000, and to 3.7 million in 2009 (Ryan, 2012). This growing trend of student mobility leads to increased university competition for students around the globe. However, little is known about the experiences of international students in Africa. This lack of understanding could leave the continent at a disadvantage for attracting and retaining international students, while other parts of the world continue to benefit. To begin to address this gap, I conducted a qualitative phenomenological study at one private university in East Africa that attracts about 20% of its population as international students.As International Student Coordinator at this university, I interviewed 13 graduate students from various countries and conducted participant observations on campus for three years. I aimed to understand students' perceptions of their learning experiences. This article focuses on students' non-academic learning. Students' positive and negative experiences highlighted the difference that student affairs and administrative staff can make in the quality of students' educational experiences. A needs model shed light on students' non-academic experiences. Student affairs and administrative staff were essential in 1) providing pre-arrival information, 2) meeting students' initial basic needs, 3) connecting them with others, keeping immigration documents current, and 5) understanding the new academic system. Ecologically, students were required to make a variety of connections in their adjustment process on campus and beyond.If the university could adequately address international students' non-academic issues, then students would be better able to focus on their main purpose: their academics. It is recommended that the university revisit its procedures and develop more holistic international-student-friendly policies. Then, it could better support the learning of its present students and attract more international students, thereby more greatly impacting the world.

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The challenges of student affairs at Kenyan public universities

Cited by 4 publications

References 19 publications

Student Experience and Quality of Tertiary Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho

Student Experience and Quality of Tertiary Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho

Diversity Includes Disability: Experiences of Resilience in a University Residence

Not just academics: Supporting international graduate students at an East African private university

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