Opening learning to students in a South African university through innovative institutional fundraising initiatives

Abstract

One of the ambitions of the draft Open Learning Policy Framework (OLPF) is to open up learning to students burdened by financial constraints and an inability to meet the full costs of their studies. This case study sought to better understand ways in which the University of the Western Cape (UWC) opened up learning through the provision of funding for financially precarious students. The study focused on UWC’s ‘Access to Success’ campaign which has comprised various fundraising activities including an annual phonathon, a staff pledge campaign, corporate fundraising events, and the #NoStudentWillBeLeftBehind campaign. A qualitative methodological approach was adopted, employing in-depth interviews with key stakeholders to ascertain and explore the ways in which the institution has provided opportunities for access to poor and financially precarious students. Given the OLPF’s ambition to foster social justice, Nancy Fraser’s (2008, 2010) framework of participatory parity was used as a lens for evaluating whether and to what extent social justice was promoted within and across three dimensions: economic, cultural and political. Findings demonstrate that a range of factors are important in considering funding for students including knowledge of institutional history, culture and context, knowledge of students’ contextual challenges and needs, and the importance of supportive leadership. Through the lens of participatory parity, the study shows that UWC has had some success in opening learning to students through funding. In the economic dimension, fundraising efforts have facilitated access through supplementing fees and study expenses, providing nutrition programmes, and sourcing donations of essential goods such as toiletries. Culturally, the phonathon offered students opportunities for recognition through valuing them as important contributors to the academic project, and Access to Success projects fostered community across diverse groups on campus. Politically, the phonathon fostered representation, allowing students to contribute to debates and issues, and highlighted the importance of institutional leadership. Overall, whilst Access to Success provided important and necessary interventions, these tended to be short term and ameliorative rather than transformative measuresfor students and the university itself. For much needed deep and systemic change, significantly more and sustained government funding is needed.