Strengthening Academic Learner Support at the University of Botswana

Abstract

This chapter provides a situational analysis of academic language and learning (ALL) support at the University of Botswana (UB) with the view to assess how the university is doing in this regard and the implications for student retention and success. Strategies for enhancing academic literacy and learner support are discussed based on current issues related to changing student profiles in the international higher education (HE) arena facilitated by globalization and technology. The national context of Botswana, as well as UB, will be discussed in this chapter. The need for ALL in HEIs will also be discussed and recommendations made to the UB on how to best structure their support services. Finally, an academic literacy model for the UB geared at equipping students with requisite skills for academic excellence will be proposed.