DASS presents at the 2023 SAAIR Annual Conference
From left to right: Dr Kende Kefale, Dr Riashna Sithaldeen, Precious Mudavanhu and Jaamia Galant
The DASS group seized an opportunity to highlight their work at the Annual Conference of the South African Association for Institutional Research (SAAIR) in Cape Town Somerset West from 23-26 October 2023. The DASS project team's presentation aligned with the central theme of the conference on Future-Forward Education in the next 30 years.
There were a range of keynote speakers from the University of Georgia, the American University of Cairo, Western Sydney University, and Stellenbosch University, with over 120 conference participants representing various institutions across Southern Africa. There were 32 presentations covering theme topics on Adapting to the Future Higher Education Institution in the next 30 years, Institutional research for Future-Oriented decision-making and Sustainability, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Higher Education.
The DASS presented on "Adapting a Model of a Business Intelligence Competency Centre (BICC) to Enhance Student Success in Higher Education". The presentation was well-received, and it became evident that the work aligned with the ideas presented by Professor Ian Cloete, a former senior director at the Division for Information Governance and Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University’s Industrial Engineering Department. Professor Cloete presented the role of data analytics in higher education, underscoring the importance of working efficiently and effectively to drive positive outcomes. The DASS’s presentation highlighted the importance of a virtual Business Intelligence Competency Centre (BICC) and that it allows the project team to harness capacity, skills, and diverse domain knowledge into a Business Intelligence (BI) strategy without going through formal restructuring or the addition of new staff.
Dr Kende Kefale, the data analyst from DASS, shared his enthusiasm about the positive reception of their work, noting that it resonated with one of the keynote speakers. He commented, "It was great to see the work of DASS being received so well and to see that who we are and what we do as DASS aligns with the perspectives of one of the keynote speakers."
The conference provided networking opportunities and requests for the DASS team to connect with other institutions and individuals who share their research interests.