SAACDHE 2014 conference: Second notice and first call for abstracts

1. 1
SECOND NOTICE
THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN ASSOCIATION FOR COUNSELLING AND
DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION INVITES YOU TO THE
35TH ANNUAL SAACDHE CONFERENCE 2014 IN GAUTENG
HOSTED BY
THE VAAL-NORTH WEST REGION
8-10 SEPTEMBER 2014
AT
RIVERSIDE SUN RESORT HOTEL IN VANDERBIJLPARK
CALL FOR PAPERS, POSTERS, WORKSHOPS AND SUBMISSION OF
ABSTRACTS
Dear SAACDHE Colleagues
Our 35th
SAACDHE Annual Conference is being held on the banks of the Vaal River at the
Riverside Sun Resort Hotel and Conference Centre from 8-10 September 2014. With its
breath taking scenery this is an event not to be missed!
The second notice is a formal request for the submission of abstracts for papers,
workshops and posters for presentations at the 2014 SAACDHE Conference.
Below you will find the relevant guidelines for submission of abstracts. Please read these
carefully and ensure all the requirements prior to submission of your abstract.
CLOSING DATE for submission: 30 April 2014
Please bear in mind the conference theme as you do your preparations. It is a broad theme
that should encourage contributions related to shaping our students in preparation for their
futures. To remind you the theme is repeated below.

2. 2
2014 SAACDHE CONFERENCE THEME:
“Shaping our students: Forming a future for global citizenship”.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are tasked with the responsibility that goes beyond
simply teaching the field specific content under study. That responsibility includes producing
graduates with skills that go far beyond the generic, field-specific work and function
knowledge. Historically, the role of HEIs has been to inculcate within graduates the highest
level of disciplinary –specific content. Yet new demands for graduateness require graduates
to be imbued with a corporate value of excellence that enables them to perform as efficiently
and effectively as possible within the world of work.
It is hoped that the 2014 SAACDHE conference can engage in the dialogue of (i) different
work-related identities, (ii) the orientation of learners to develop in relation to their future
labour market activities, and (iii) the preparation of students for future employment. To have
the competitive advantage in the job market, students need to have developed their
employability throughout their time in Higher Education Institutions. As student counselling
practitioners we play a crucial role in developing our students’ employability.
FOCUS AREAS
TRANSFORMATION WITHIN STUDENT COUNSELLING AND DEVELOPMENT
 As student counselling and development practitioners we have the responsibility to our
students to engage in a dialogue of shaping these students for employment. According to
Tomlinson (2007), the dialogue on employability persistently overlooks the perceptions
that students have about their future work and employment, and the attitudes, identities
and orientations they develop in relation to this.
GRADUATENESS
 There has been a range of global forces that contributed to the renewed attention of
graduate attributes. They include the perspective of education as a lifelong process, focus
in employability of graduates, and the development of outcome measures to justify the
quality of higher education. Some universities are now endeavouring to produce
graduates with the skills that are valued by employers and are seen to add to the country’s
prosperity and social capital.
 A key path to graduateness is through continuous engagement and constructive alignment
with external stakeholders. Programs such as work readiness workshops, life skills
development, personal development programs, mentorship and coaching etc., might be of
value.

3. 3
EMPLOYABILITY
 The challenges of new graduates not possessing the range of applied skills that
employers are seeing as critical for success in the modern workplace are increasingly
becoming a concern both nationally and internationally. The importance of integrating
the relevant employability skills into the development of students has become essential.
LEADERSHIP
 Basic academic skills: include writing, reading, listening
 Business acumen
 Higher order skills: include continuous learning, creativity, decision-making, problem
solving etc. These skills equip an individual to unlock their talent and aspire to change
their lives.
 Personal qualities where the bulk of the desired attributes are located include: self-
confidence, adaptability, social skills, responsibility, team spirit, and self-directed
management.
GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES & COMPETENCIES
 Higher order skills: include continuous learning, creativity, decision-making, problem
solving etc. These skills equip an individual to unlock their talent and aspire to change
their lives.
PERSONAL SKILLS
 Personal qualities where the bulk of the desired attributes are located include: self-
confidence, adaptability, social skills, responsibility, team spirit, and self-directed
management.
STUDENT SUCCESS
 There has been a range of global forces that contributed to the renewed attention of
graduate attributes. They include the perspective of education as a lifelong process, focus
in employability of graduates, and the development of outcome measures to justify the
quality of higher education.
SOCIO ECONOMIC CHALLENGES
 Universities are now endeavouring to produce graduates with the skills that are valued
by employers and are seen to add to the country’s prosperity and social capital.

4. 4
SUCCESS STORIES
 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are tasked with the responsibility that goes beyond
simply teaching the field specific content under study. That responsibility includes
producing graduates with skills that goes far beyond the generic, field-specific work and
function knowledge. Historically, the role of HEIs has been to inculcate within graduates
the highest level of disciplinary –specific content. Yet new demands for graduateness
require graduates to be imbued with a corporate value of excellence that enables them to
perform as efficiently and effectively as possible within the world of work.
 Basic academic skills: include writing, reading, listening
 Business acumen
 Higher order skills: include continuous learning, creativity, decision-making, problem
solving etc. These skills equip an individual to unlock their talent and aspire to change
their lives.
 Personal qualities where the bulk of the desired attributes are located include: self-
confidence, adaptability, social skills, responsibility, team spirit, and self-directed
management.
Important information:
 The first notice serves to stimulate your thinking around the themes on which your
contributions (papers, posters and workshops) could be formulated.
 The second notice will provide details on:
 Registration procedures, dates and fees;
 Accommodation and transport;
 A formal Call for Abstracts and specific requirements for the different kinds of
presentations.
 A website link for the 2014 conference is in the process of being developed and will be
linked to the SAACDHE website.
PRESENTATION GUIDELINES
Conference presentations should demonstrate relevance in respect of the conference theme.
Presentations will fit into one of the following five categories:
 Research papers
 Descriptive conceptual papers
 Training workshops
 Discussions workshops/focus groups
 Papers presented as posters
The following guidelines should be followed with respect to each type of presentation:
Research papers

5. 5
These are formal presentations which are based on rigorous research that has been conducted
and presented in accordance with recognised academic standards. The quality of the research
and presentation should be such that the paper qualifies for publication in a recognized
journal.
At the conference research papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Relevance to the conference theme: Was the paper closely related to the conference theme?
Quality of research: Was the paper based on rigorous research conducted in accordance with
recognized academic standards?
Content, originality and innovation: Did the paper break new ground OR significantly
expand your knowledge and understanding?
Style and quality of presentation: Was the style of presentation and quality of aids of a high
standard?
Audience participation and response: Did the presentation generate enthusiastic
participation and lively discussion from the audience?
Descriptive/Conceptual papers
These are less formal presentations, which while they may contain data from surveys and
other research, are largely conceptual or descriptive in nature and are primarily intended to
convey new insights, perspectives and/or experiences.
At the conference descriptive/conceptual papers will be evaluated according to the
following criteria:
Relevance to the conference theme: Was the paper closely related to the conference theme?
Content originality and innovation: Did the paper break new ground OR significantly
expand your knowledge and understanding?
Style and quality of presentation: Was the style of presentation and quality of aids of a high
standard?
Audience participant and response: Did the presentation generate enthusiastic participation
and lively discussion from the audience?

6. 6
Training Workshops
These are facilitated activity-based group interactions primarily intended to demonstrate
process issues and/or impart new skills or insights.
At the conference training workshops will be evaluted according to the following
criteria:
Relevance to the conference theme: Was the workshops closely related to the conference
theme?
Content originality and innovation: Did the workshop break new ground OR significantly
expand your understanding and/or skills?
Appropriateness of strucute and process: Was the structure and process of the workshop
effective in achieving its goals/aims?
Facilitations skills: Was the facilitator engaging and effective in managing the interactions
of the group?
Discussion/Focus groups:
These are facilitated discussion groups: the primary intention of which participants to hsare
thoughts, ideas and experiences in relation to a specific issue or topic:
At the conference discussion/focusgroups will be evaluated according to the following
criteria:
Relevance to the conference theme: Was the discussion topic closely related to the
conference theme?
Content originality and innovation: Did the discussion break new ground OR significantly
expant your understanding and/or skills?
Diversity and significance of discussion: Did the discussion involve a meaningful exchange
of diverse ideas, perspectives or experiences?
Facilitations skills: Was the facilitator engaging and effective in managing the interactions
of the group?
Papers presented as posters:
There are poster presentations, which visually represent, in summary form, the methods,
results and findings of formal academic and related research.
Guidelines
 Format: aim, method, results, conclusion.
 Use a readable size print on your poster.
 Indicate the title, author (s) and institution.
Instructions for the submission of abstracts
Format
 Abstract should be e-mails as Microsoft Word attachments to the following address/s:
25099272@nwu.ac.za
saneth.dreyer@nwu.ac.za
nomangwanem@vut.ac.za

7. 7
 Abstracts must be in English;
 Please use Arial, font size 10
 Select the folowing Page Setup: A4 paper size
Top Margin: 9.5cm
Left and right Margins: 4.5cm
Use single line-spacing
Your abstract must be within the above margins and limited to 2 pages.
The Layout of the abstract must be as follows:
o Centre the title in CAPITAL letters at the top of the page.
o Space
o Names of the authors and their affiliation. Presenting author’s name/s to be underlined.
o Space
o The abstract
Abstract requirements:
 Paper: 250-300 words maximum describing the purpose, overview, outcomes
and conclusion.
 Workshop: 250-300 words and not than 30 words for the description of the pur-
pose, the outline, techniques used, duration and maximum participants
to attend.
 Poster: 250-300 words description of the theme (in the case of a conceptual
Poster), the purpose, overview, outcomes and conclusion.
On a separate page please state:
o Title of the abstrat.
o Type of presentation category:
 Research paper/s
 Descriptive/conceptual paper/s
 Training workshop/s
 Discussion workshop/focus group
 Paper presentation as poster
o Presting author/s name
o Address
o Telephone and fax number
o E-mail address
o Organization/University
o Country
o Theme

8. 8
NB: All presenters must send their CV’s not longer than 2 pages and attach as a separate
document. Also not that an Abstract will only be considered with a CV attached.
REMINDER: The deadline for receipt of abstract is 30 April 2014.