Higher education has become a site of contestation
for many stakeholders such as administrators,
academics, students, funders and government.
Interestingly, emerging challenges are unprecedented.
One of the key challenges in a
developing society is the high failure rate among
first year students. These students are seen to lack
the necessary educational tools to negotiate the
terrain of higher education, successfully. Cultural
differences and individual insecurities serve to
hamper meaningful integration into a highly
sophisticated system of learning This book explores
how peer facilitated mentoring at a university in
South Africa, the Westville campus of the University
of Natal, potentially addresses the academic and
social needs of first-year and first generation
university students in a manner that reconciles the
complex interplay between institutional forces and
individual socio-cultural histories without
compromising the integrity of either. The
theoretical and practical application of this study
has a broader global appeal, especially those
societies grappling with issues of cultural
divergence and its impact on academic performance.
for many stakeholders such as administrators,
academics, students, funders and government.
Interestingly, emerging challenges are unprecedented.
One of the key challenges in a
developing society is the high failure rate among
first year students. These students are seen to lack
the necessary educational tools to negotiate the
terrain of higher education, successfully. Cultural
differences and individual insecurities serve to
hamper meaningful integration into a highly
sophisticated system of learning This book explores
how peer facilitated mentoring at a university in
South Africa, the Westville campus of the University
of Natal, potentially addresses the academic and
social needs of first-year and first generation
university students in a manner that reconciles the
complex interplay between institutional forces and
individual socio-cultural histories without
compromising the integrity of either. The
theoretical and practical application of this study
has a broader global appeal, especially those
societies grappling with issues of cultural
divergence and its impact on academic performance.