University of South Africa: Unisa Science colleges honour excellence in teaching and learning
The festival aims to honour excellence in teaching and learning in the institution. The festival also allowed the two colleges to showcase academic exchanges and scholarly interaction in preparation for the Institutional Teaching and Learning Festival 2022.
The programme was opened by Prof Ramagoai Magano, Executive Dean of CAES. He expressed that celebrating teaching and learning is crucial as it acknowledges the institution’s fundamental and core business.
Dr Lwazi Lushaba, a lecturer from the Department of Political Studies at the University of Cape Town, served as the event’s guest speaker. His keynote address entitled “What is the responsibility of a graduate in a recently decolonised society or a decolonising society?” challenged the audience on whether the teaching and learning activities within institutions are decolonised. He said: “Graduates reflect the education system that produces them.” He added: “They are products of the teaching and learning the universities offer them.” His address emphasised the importance of decolonising the education system. Lushaba said that education must not simply teach work or prepare people to be employable but should instead teach life.
CAES and CSET proudly congratulate nominees who managed to proceed to the 2022 Institutional Teaching and Learning Festival, to be held on 1 and 2 September 2022.
Dr Thandazile Mhlongo and Dr Selina Nkosi were nominated in the category of Student Support, while Dr Miranda Deutschlander was nominated in the Transformation in Teaching and Learning category. Ngaka Mosia was nominated for the Excellence Award for Student Success and Retention and Prof Talat Nazir is in the category of Innovation in Tuition. Prof Elmarie Kritzinger and Dr Patricia Gouws, who were initially nominated in the category of Innovation in Tuition, but were recommended to compete at an institutional level under the category of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
In closing, Prof Simi Dube, Acting Executive Dean of CSET, commended nominees who participated in the Teaching and Learning Festival. She further challenged lecturers to come up with student retention strategies, high throughput and high attrition rates.