Elevating the Student Voice
THE HEART OF CPUT’S DATA INNOVATION. CPUT’s data interns showcased their work on the development of student success dashboards at the Siyaphumelela conference.
Tuesday, 12 August 2025
CPUT proudly celebrates the achievements of Bulela Limba, a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award and a Siyaphumelela Scholar.
Along with four fellow scholars, he was selected to work under the mentorship of renowned South African poet Diana Ferrus.
Ferrus guided the scholars to craft their own “I Am” poems, a powerful reflective exercise that draws on personal narrative, identity, and purpose. Bulela shared her poem at the Siyaphumelela Conference recently in Johannesburg. Dr Xena Cupido, the director of the Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development, said being mentored by a literary veteran like Diana Ferrus is not only an opportunity to refine her poetic and performative talents, but also a profound act of claiming voice and space within the higher education landscape.
“It affirms that storytelling and expression are central to shaping inclusive learning environments.”
Cupido said that in parallel with the poetry mentorship, CPUT’s data interns showcased their work on the development of student success dashboards at the Siyaphumelela conference. This project places students at the heart of CPUT’s data innovation. “The dashboards aim to provide real-time insights to support academic advising, track engagement, and improve overall outcomes.”
She said this initiative reflects CPUT’s ongoing commitment to student voice and partnership. “Through platforms such as the Siyaphumelela Student Success programme, the university recognises students as co-creators of knowledge and agents of change. Whether through poetry or data analytics, students are supported to critically engage with their lived experiences and reimagine what student success looks like. This dual emphasis on data and dialogue underscores a key tenet of the Siyaphumelela ethos: that meaningful transformation in higher education cannot occur without students at the centre.”
Written by CPUT News
Email: news@cput.ac.za
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