The Executive Committee is responsible for the planning, execution and monitoring of the Association’s Statement of Purpose.
The Executive Committee has full authority to act for and on behalf of the Association, expect as otherwise specified in the Constitution.
The Executive Committee is responsible for recommending a budget for approval at the Annual General meeting, after an annual independent audit of the Association’s financial records.
Gugu Wendy Khanye is the Director for Student Success in the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State (UFS). As a Behavioral Sciences and Higher Education graduate, she has a wealth of experience, expertise and passion for student support and success.
She served as the Inaugural President of the South African Academic Advising Association (Eletsa) 2020 – 2023, Gugu has played a pivotal role in advancing the field of academic advising in South Africa. Her dedication to enhancing the profession, scholarship and practice of academic advising is further evident in her co-leadership in 2 national UCDG Academic Advising collaborative grants. Gugu has contributed to national and international conversations and best practices about student success through her engagement in Siyaphumelela, NACADA and other platforms.
Her mission is to support students in becoming self-directed, motivated, and responsible decision-makers, ensuring they graduate not only academically but is also equipped for success in their future endeavors.
Gugu’s research interests include academic advising, evidence-based practices, high impact practices, student success and student engagement.
Hestie Byles obtained her doctorate, focusing on finding ways to enroll students based on resilience, agency, and structure in higher education. She started her academic career as a junior lecturer and later a lecturer in the Centre for Academic Development until she took over the management of the Centre in 2010 and took responsibility for the Extended Programme in the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Humanities. From there she took up a position as lecturer in the Department of Psychology where she lectured first-year, third-year as well as Master’s degree students in various modules. From here she moved on to implement the FLY@UP Student Success and minimum time to completion programme at the University of Pretoria.
The FLY@UP programme aims at improving student success, in particular, encouraging students to graduate in the minimum time. The vision of the FLY@UP programme is to determine the needs of the students and then empowering students to address these needs by making the relevant resources more accessible to them. Hestie is currently the Manager Academic Advising where she oversees the advising practice at the University of Pretoria as well as the FLY@UP programme. The team of Academic Success Coaches, work tirelessly to onboard and support new first-years and to assist senior student through various interventions.
Hestie is also responsible for the First-Year Academic Hybrid Orientation and co-created the three-tiered orientation programme which won an international award in 2022. A major priority of the First-Year Orientation is making new First-Year students feel welcome and fostering belonging. Hestie is the co-lead for the implementation of Anthology Reach, branded Support@UP which is a first in the country. It is a “one-stop online shop” for student support and covers all support services at the university.
Ninette Aucamp is serving as additional member of the ELETSA Executive Committee for the term 2024 – 2026. She is an Industrial Psychologist (HPCSA), Independent Counsellor (HPSA), and Senior Academic Advisor at the University of the Free State (UFS).
She has been involved in the professional accreditation of almost 500 Academic advisors Nationally, as the academic coordinator, and a facilitator of the Academic Advising Professional Development Programme (AAPD) offered by the UFS. She also coordinates the UFS Peer Advising programme which services approximately 1800 peer advisors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Counselling Psychology, an Honors degree in Industrial Psychology, and a Master’s degree in industrial psychology at the UFS.
With dual registrations at the HPCSA, she draws from specialisations in coaching and counselling, wellness, professional ethics, student support, higher education, training and development, talent management, and organisational development in her advising practice. Her research centres around student support and success, and the professionalisation of advising as a practice. Her master’s thesis focused on developing a competency framework for academic advisors in the South African context. She believes in advising as a professional and ethical practice that promotes growth and development and empowers students to succeed to graduation and beyond.
With 16 years of experience in the development, implementation and facilitation of success skills programmes, she specialises in assisting STEM students with success strategies, study approaches, and problem-solving to overcome everyday challenges and transitions. Being part of the advising team at the UFS, she has been involved in the planning and execution of the National Advisor Seminar in 2022 and 2023 and has presented a paper on peer advising. Her values are rooted in human-centeredness, compassion, work ethic, and openness.
Zandile Rakhudu is the UCDG Project Coordinator and Academic Advisor at the Centre for Teaching and Learning in the Advising, Access and Success Focus at the University of the Free State, South Africa.
Zandile provides project coordination within the UCDG collaborative grant in collaboration with the UFS Advising, Access and Success Assistant Director. In her role, she also offers support to students of the Theology and Religion faculty, to contribute to academic advising efforts to reduce drop-out rates and increase the success rate at the UFS. She also serves as the Administrative Coordinator for the Academic Advising Professional Development (AAPD) for the last three years, in this role she also serves as a Facilitator for the programme.
Zandile holds an Honours degree in Corporate and Marketing Communication from the University of the Free State. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education Studies, which her research was focused on improving teaching and learning for Short Learning Programmes that serve as developmental means for advising professionals in their pursuit of further development and growth within their professional careers.
Her other research interests lie in corporate communications within government and large organisations and career advising that leads to student success in university and post-graduation (workplace). She is passionate about branding strategies, student empowerment, career success, and youth empowerment.
