Conference Presentation
To be presented at:
First Annual University of Cape Town (UCT) Well-Being and Flourishing Conference
Tuesday, 9 September 2025 | UCT Graduate School of Business
Duration: 7 minutes 32 seconds | Format: Conference presentation
This presentation reveals how first-year flourishing profiles can predict engineering student outcomes across demographic lines, based on comprehensive analysis of the 2021 SUBSIFY cohort where 41.2% of engineering students in the 2021 SUBSIFY cohort completed their degrees in minimum time.
Abstract
Engineering education faces persistent challenges in student retention and achievement gaps, particularly affecting students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. This research investigates how first-year flourishing profiles can predict engineering student outcomes and inform targeted support strategies that promote both excellence and equity.
Using comprehensive baseline data from Stellenbosch University's SUBSIFY study (Stellenbosch University Baseline Survey for Incoming First-Years), we tracked 532 engineering students from the 2021 cohort through their degree completion outcomes. Our analysis examined 49 measures across flourishing, wellness habits, well-being, and mindset dimensions to identify factors that differentiate students who complete their degrees in minimum time from those who require longer or leave without completing.
The research reveals three universal foundations that predict engineering student success across all demographic groups: Physical Health (DCM: 7.69 vs UP&L: 7.20*), Life Satisfaction (DCM: 7.79 vs UP&L: 7.24*), and Financial Security (DCM: 6.60 vs UP&L: 5.90*). These foundations emerged as significant across 87.5%, 83.3%, and 58.3% of our 24 different comparison scenarios* respectively, where DCM = Degree Completers in Minimum time and UP&L = Unsuccessful Persisters & Leavers, with * indicating statistical significance. The scenarios represent 24 different comparison analyses across academic preparation levels and demographic groups.
However, our demographic analysis reveals important nuances in how these universal foundations interact with student backgrounds. While the three foundations remain important across groups, their relative emphasis and the presence of additional factors vary significantly by generational status, socioeconomic background, and gender. This suggests that effective support requires both universal approaches and demographic-aware strategies.
These findings provide evidence-based guidance for developing differentiated support programs that address both common needs and group-specific success factors, ultimately enabling engineering programs to promote student success while advancing equity and inclusion goals.
Research Publications
Universal Foundations: Core Non-Academic Predictors of Engineering Student Success
This foundational study identifies three universal non-academic factors that predict engineering student success across all demographic groups: Physical Health, Life Satisfaction, and Financial Security. Using comprehensive baseline data from 532 first-year engineering students, the research reveals consistent patterns where successful degree completers scored significantly higher on these foundational dimensions regardless of background characteristics.
Key Innovation: The identification of truly universal success predictors provides a foundation for evidence-based student support programs that can benefit all students while also revealing the baseline factors most critical for engineering persistence and timely completion.
Demographic Dimensions in Engineering Education: How Generational Status, Socioeconomic Background, and Gender Shape Success Factors
This companion study examines how the universal foundations interact with demographic characteristics to create nuanced patterns of success factors. The research reveals that while Physical Health, Life Satisfaction, and Financial Security remain important across groups, their relative importance and the presence of additional factors varies significantly by generational status, socioeconomic background, and gender.
Key Innovation: The study demonstrates that effective support requires both universal foundations and demographic-aware approaches, providing specific guidance for creating inclusive engineering programs that address both common needs and group-specific success factors.
Beyond Academic Readiness: How Non-Academic Success Factors Vary with Academic Preparation in Engineering Education
This study reveals a striking non-linear relationship between academic preparation and non-academic success factors. Students with moderate academic preparation show the highest number of significant non-academic predictors (up to 16 factors), while those with lower preparation rely on focused physical wellness factors, and elite students show fewer but more specialized psychological predictors.
Key Innovation: The research challenges both compensatory and Matthew effect models by demonstrating that different constellations of non-academic strengths become adaptive at different levels of academic preparation, leading to a differentiated support framework that moves beyond one-size-fits-all approaches.
Publication Status
Work-in-Progress: All three papers are currently being refined and prepared for submission to peer-reviewed journals and/or conferences.
Internal Distribution: Papers are available for internal review and will be distributed as research reports within Stellenbosch University.
Intellectual Property: All research content, methodologies, and findings are the intellectual property of Stellenbosch University.