​​17 March 2023​​Proposed adjustment of gender placement ratio at SU residences on main campus in keeping with national and global trendsDear colleagues and students​Over the past two decades, the percentage of female students at Stellenbosch University (SU) steadily increased to where it currently stands at 58,0%* of the total undergraduate student population. This is largely a result of more women having access to higher education both nationally and globally. Women are twice as likely to enrol at university, according to the Gender Fact Sheet (March 2020 and 2021) published by the Department of Higher Education and Training, and women now account for 58% of South African students in tertiary education.  As has been the trend over the last few intake years, the University’s first-year application pool for the 2023 academic year mirrored this profile. Of the first-year application pool for a place in residence for 2023, 37% were males and 63% females. The residence application pool comprises all students who received an academic offer from the University. In total, the University has 5 579 beds available in undergraduate residences on the Stellenbosch Campus. First-year spaces are not fixed and will vary depending on the number of senior students who move out in a particular year. This year, the placement ratio at residences on the Stellenbosch campus for first-year students was 49% for males and 51% for females.In practice, women are at a disadvantage to be considered for placement in the academic category. For example, a female applicant needs to achieve around 85% for placement, whereas her male counterpart will be placed with a mark of around 80% during the first placement round.  Male applicants had a 50% higher chance to be placed than a female applicant this year. In other words, only one in seven female students received a place, while one in five male applicants secured a place. In an acknowledgement of the demographic realities, national and global trends and subsequently this expanding pool of female students, SU is looking at ways to adjust the number of places reserved for female students in its residences so that it reflects a more equitable 60/40 split.   At a recent meeting of the Rectorate, an agreement was reached on the need to engage with relevant stakeholders on ways in which to phase in more places for female students in residences on the Stellenbosch campus. An increase over the next few years to 60% of the available places will bring SU closer to a more equitable gender split. Data from Statistics SA shows that women also outnumber men in terms of national demographics, and SU’s residence placement policy should reflect this. The Student Community Advisory Committee, chaired by me (Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching), has appointed a working group to be spearheaded by Dr Choice Makhetha, Senior Director: Student Affairs, to formulate proposals for the phased-in implementation of a 60/40 residence placement policy. The committee comprises representatives from Student Communities, Student Accommodation, Facilities Management, SunCom (“commercial services") and the Prim Committee.  As the consultative process is still underway, no decision has been made on how this phased-in 60/40 placement will be achieved, nor have any residences been identified for reconfiguration. The gender breakdown of the two new residences being built next to Goldfields and scheduled to open in 2024, has also not been confirmed.   The working group will engage on various solutions to the reconfiguration of residences on the Stellenbosch Campus from 2024. They will consider financial considerations and infrastructure requirements, as well as student community environments. It will then refer recommendations to the Rectorate so that there can be a gradual shift in gender placement in residences, starting with the 2024 intake. This adjustment in the University’s gender ratio for residence placement underlines SU’s commitment to ensuring a transformative student experience at an institution that reflects the full diversity of its student body. *This number is based on final registration statistics. The percentage of female students on the Stellenbosch campus is 56,3% and 76,3% at Tygerberg. Best regardsProf Deresh RamjugernathDeputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching