UFH Senior Lecturer awarded prestigious British Fellowship

Dr Eleanor Alvira Hendricks, a Senior Lecturer from our Social Work Department under the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities recently welcomed her newly acquired status as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

The Fellowship is an international recognition of a commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in higher education and demonstrates that a Fellow’s practice is aligned with the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF).

The Academy is a charity and professional membership scheme promoting excellence in higher education that advocates for evidence-based teaching methods.

Her recognition comes as no surprise to the University community, instead, it is an affirmation of her Excellence that was long recognized by the University.

Dr Hendricks is the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s 2021 Excellence awardee under the Emerging Researcher category.  

Her two main research interests are health risks associated with adolescent pregnancy and combatting school violence. She has published 17 journal articles in DHET accredited journals and her research has been distributed to secondary schools across the Western Cape in 2019 and 2020. This was in collaboration with colleagues from other universities locally and abroad, as well as the South African Military Base in Tshwane.

According to her, becoming a Senior Fellow of the HEA is a significant milestone in the professionalization of the University’s teachings. “This recognition helps build Faculty capacity around the improvement and further development of teaching practices.”

“The attainment of this Fellowship is still surreal it has not quite sunk in yet. Though, in the future should I move to the UK I will be eligible to work at any Higher Education Institute on a senior level, and move upwards from there,” she said.

Asked about the highlights of her academic career, Dr Hendricks recalled three. Firstly, her involvement in a project by Oxford University where she was co-opted to write for their special issue in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality in Education.

Secondly, her election as a board member of the Institute of Economic Development and Social Researches (Iksad) in Turkey.

Lastly, receiving the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award.

Currently, Dr Hendricks is collaborating with a colleague from the University of Dundee in Scotland on a Social Work Education work project. She also has two research projects on social media mobilisation and online education from the Faculty of Education.

Commenting on her newly acquired status, Dr Hendricks said this acknowledgment was her greatest achievement thus far. “It feels enchanting to know that I am doing work that is recognized internationally and could lead to such a prestigious certification,” she concluded.