On Friday 10 May a total of 1 460 (recorded) learners, accompanied by their teachers, walked through the doors, mostly from schools around Nelson Mandela Bay and the province.
Student counselling Peer Helpers briefed them which really helped them to understand the importance of a career exhibition and how best to map their dreams with what the university has on offer, said Open Day organiser Communication and Stakeholder Liaison’s Milisa Piko.
The new Applicant Score system was explained by Dave Jenkins from CAAR at two well-attended parent sessions on Saturday to which parents were invited and could engage on the topic.
The university has changed its criteria and no longer uses the APS System. It, therefore, became important to communicate this information with parents as we have been engaging with schools and parents, says Milisa.
More than 600 parents accompanying their children, attended the Saturday programme, geared and focused more on individual walk-ins with their parents.
Learners and parents came as far afield as Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Pretoria, George, East London, King Williams Town and Graaff-Reinet.
“As always our exhibitors did the university proud by showcasing our (academic and co-curricular) programmes interactively and positively showcased the Mandela University brand. As per tradition, we had an internal competition to award those departments that enthusiastically and creatively displayed their programmes” Milisa said.
The stall joint winners were Emergency Medical Care and Nursing Science with Ayanda Mlatsha representing Nursing Science and Mugsien Rowland Emergency Medical Care, at the back.
Left: The first runner-up of the winning stalls was the Department of Physiology, a new department in the Faculty of Science, represented by Richard Lupuwana, one of the first cohort of Physiology Honours students joined by Open Day organiser Communication and Stakeholder Liaison’s Milisa Piko.
Right: The second runner-up of the winning stalls was SAIMI (the South African International Marine Institute), represented by (centre) Thobani Sithole and Liesel Stowman (right) and joined by Communication and Stakeholder Liaison’s Sandisa Miza. Well done as a newcomer to the exhibition!