Dear prospective participant

You are hereby invited to participate in a survey conducted by Mrs Y. Burger under the supervision of Drs S.P. van Tonder and J.H. van Schoor of the School of Higher Education Studies at the University of the Free State. The aforementioned survey forms part of Mrs Burger's doctoral research in Higher Education Studies and it is envisioned that the findings of this research will contribute to a framework for good alternative access programmes for Graphic Design students.

The survey you are referred to below has been specifically designed to identify the key generic and discipline-specific competencies and support mechanisms that should be included in alternative access programmes for Graphic Design students. You were identified as a prospective participant in this survey because you are a lecturer in Graphic Design, in a related discipline and/or in an alternative access programme. By completing this survey, you agree that the information you provide may be used for research purposes, including the dissemination thereof through peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings.

When accessing the survey, you will first be presented with a section outlining the background, aim and relevant particulars of the research project which the survey questionnaire has been designed to address. The survey has furthermore been designed to be completed anonymously and as such the researcher and promoters shall have no way of connecting any information furnished to any of the participants personally. Please also note that you are under no obligation to complete the survey and you may withdraw from the study prior to finally submitting the survey. Should you decide to participate, you will be expected to confirm your informed consent for taking part by indicating as such on the first page of the questionnaire.

Further information on as well as ethical considerations pertaining to the survey are provided in more detail in the introduction to the survey questionnaire.

The primary researcher, Mrs Y. Burger, can be contacted during office hours at 079 849 5931 / yolandibur@gmail.com. The promoters of the study, namely Drs S.P. van Tonder and J.H. van Schoor, can be contacted during office hours at 051 401 9174 / vTonderSP@ufs.ac.za and 051 401 3799 / vschoorj@ufs.ac.za respectively.

Please click on the following link to access the questionnaire:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/generic_discipline-specific_competencies

Kind regards
Yolandi Burger