Dear UCT Student,
It is proposed that a special call is made within DSA to support and increase the quantity and quality of abstract submissions for the annual Teaching and Learning Conference. A call will be made for the DSA community to submit an initial expression of interest  to participate in the formation of an abstract and joint presentation of a conference proceeding at the foreseen 2022 Teaching and Learning Conference. A list of those students and staff stakeholders interested in partaking in such a process will:
 
- be mentored and supported through a series of guided steps to enable them to collaboratively piece together an abstract and anticipated presentation.
 
- be part of a presentation team to practice their presentation and be prepared to present at the 2022 Teaching and Learning Conference.
 
Mentoring and guidance will be provisioned in a manner that the skills being developed are not limited to the Teaching and Learning Conference. It is foreseen that increased DSA staff and student engagement will create a starting point for continuous exploration into a further area of inquiry for several of those that participate. It is also hoped that the participation in such a conference will expose the university to the myriad of explorations and experiences being presented from the DSA communities. It will also provide the participants with a developmental opportunity to harness their presentation skills, hone and develop their research and writing skills and build increased confidence to approach student development work with empirical rigor.