As participation in higher education widens, there is also increased pressure for efficiency, relevance, and success. It is important to ensure that students are equipped with relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies, develop personally and socio-culturally, and succeed academically, by making successful transitions into and through higher education and into the world of work and livelihoods.
An evidence-based development of high-impact interventions using multiple methods, including student engagement surveys and action research approaches, is a proven strategy (Strydom et al., 2016). The development of context-relevant, high impact co-curricular programmes, support services and interventions by means of a reflective scholarship of Student Affairs and Services (SAS), institutional research and reflective practice, is also an imperative in the professionalisation of SAS in Africa.
The guest-editors of the academic advising articles of this issue, François Strydom and Gugu Tiroyabone, have opened up the conceptual and praxis field on academic advising for Student Affairs in Africa. Thus, the first seven articles in this issue are specifically focused on academic advising and offer case studies, critical discussions, and reviews, on this high-impact practice in higher education.
In addition to the articles on academic advising, there is also a set of articles that deals with a wider variety of themes to keep the JSAA lens as wide and diverse as possible. This includes international students, counselling and psycho-social support for students extended curriculum programmes, student governance, and ways to develop mindfulness among first year students.
