Experiential Learning Competency Framework & Graduate Attributes

Demonstrating applied capability through structured experiential practice and reflective engagement.

Experiential learning at Stellenbosch University is embedded within a deliberate and institutionally aligned developmental framework. The Experiential Learning Competency Framework provides the architecture through which practice-based experiences are designed, aligned to graduate attributes, and progressively strengthened across the student journey 

The seven interconnected domains ensures that experiential learning contributes to intellectual depth, ethical formation, intercultural capability, digital fluency, and sustained personal development, advancing the University’s commitment to transformative education and societal contribution.

By intentionally mapping competencies to graduate attribute acquisition, experiential learning advances the University’s Vision 2040 commitment to transformative student experience, inclusive excellence, and societal impact. It cultivates graduates who demonstrate ethical leadership, intercultural competence, critical and systems thinking, digital fluency, and sustained capacity for lifelong learning.

Through this integrated approach, experiential learning is positioned as a structured, quality-assured pathway through which students realise their full academic and civic potential.

The Experiential Learning Competency Framework offers a clear, interactive view of the capabilities developed through participation in experiential learning at Stellenbosch University. Organised across seven interconnected domains, the wheel helps experiential educators, students, and partners to understand how learning extends beyond disciplinary knowledge to include the development of relational, reflective, and applied capabilities that support student growth in complex contexts. It also makes visible the connection between experiential learning opportunities and the cultivation of Stellenbosch University’s graduate attributes, providing a practical framework for designing, recognising, and strengthening learning that prepares students to contribute with insight, adaptability, responsibility, and impact.

At Stellenbosch University, we are committed to shaping graduates who are academically excellent and equipped to navigate a complex world. The infographic below provides a visual guide to the five aspirational Graduate Attributes that form the core of the student journey at SU.

This infographic is designed to help staff, students, and partners easily understand the core traits we aim to cultivate in our university community:

How to Use This Infographic You can use this visual framework to understand the dual focus of our graduate profile. For every attribute, the infographic explains exactly "what students do" to embody these values, and "how students do it" during their time at SU. Whether it is through participating in leadership-as-service, engaging in courageous discussions, contributing to social impact activities, or exploring global experiences, this guide outlines the practical journey our students take to develop these vital attributes.