The following Units are accommodated in five centrally located buildings in Victoria Street, Stellenbosch:
Unit for Academic Counselling and Development (UACD)
The Unit provides developmental and psycho-educational services that support students throughout their university journey. The team comprises educational psychologists, a psychometrist, registered counsellors, and intern psychologists.
Through individual consultations, workshops, group programmes, and self-help resources, students are supported in developing effective learning approaches, academic skills, self-management strategies, and academic engagement. Support is available for a range of academic and educational concerns, including adjusting to university life, planning and managing academic demands, enhancing motivation and learning effectiveness, coping with test and examination stress, overcoming barriers to learning, and exploring career options and pathways.
Services aim to promote effective learning, academic development, educational wellbeing, and the optimisation of students' potential. Career counselling and career development services are available to all registered students.
Please be sure to send an e-mail to [email protected] for an individual appointment or to enquire about our work sessions.
Disability Unit (DU)
The Disability Unit offers a range of services to students with disabilities, from advice on appropriate academic support solutions to accessible tailored study materials. The Disability Access Policy of Stellenbosch University (SU) informs the Unit's activities. We advise prospective students with disabilities about any available support when they arrive at SU. We also discuss appropriate academic support solutions and ensure that academic material is accessible for study, test and exam purposes. The DU also offers students and staff various training opportunities. These include a Lead with Disability programme for students and staff. Please come chat to us about any disability-related uncertainties and do contact us at [email protected].
Follow us on the Student Affairs Facebook page and the Disability Unit Facebook page at @sudisabilityunit, and via the Instagram page at @sudisabilityunit for updates and information. You are also welcome to visit us at 39 Victoria Street, House Simon Nkoli Huis, Stellenbosch.
Unit for Psychotherapeutic and Support Services (UPSS)
The Unit offers individual and group therapy as well as work sessions focused on psychological and life skills development. Confidential and professional services are provided by psychologists, registered counsellors and social workers. The Unit offers psychotherapy for a broad spectrum of problems experienced by students, for instance depression, high stress levels, adjustment problems, substance abuse, trauma and relationship or family problems.
The Unit has implemented screening sessions as part of the evaluation process for students who experience psychological challenges. The aim of the screening session is to determine the nature and urgency of the student's problem and to do a relevant allocation to the next level of care. An after-hours psychological emergency service is also available to registered students from 16:00 to 08:00, including weekends/public holidays (the ER24 crisis line number is 010 205 3032). Social workers provide a service in the interest of student welfare. During the academic year, these workers render comprehensive professional psychosocial services to students regarding social issues, including support, guidance and counselling.
Social workers manage the food security programme and students who apply for assistance are assessed holistically and receive the appropriate support if indicated.
Students who wish to enquire about the services or request any of these are reminded to send an e‑mail to [email protected] for an appointment. The appointments for all services are conducted in a hybrid manner, which means they are either face-to-face or online.
Unit for Graduand Career Services (UGCS)
The Unit supports students with the transition from education to employment. This could include individual sessions about your career, group sessions on CV writing, interview skills, how to search for jobs, your online brand and how to optimise your LinkedIn profile. We also host on-campus career fairs where students can network with companies that recruit SU graduates. All our core services are also offered online.
We also partner with Gradlinc, an SU start-up that manages a jobs portal. All SU students are strongly encouraged to register on the system. It is important for students to start preparing for their transition to the world of work as early as their first year. As several employers are registered on the platform, students can also upload their CVs to potential employers and search for employers' information and work opportunities. Gradlinc allows students to stay abreast of any relevant job opportunities 24/7. Contact us via e-mail at [email protected].