UFH Teaching & Learning Centre Staff geared to do what they do best – providing exceptional support to staff and students

Submitted by Aretha Linden on Mon, 30/01/2023 - 11:55
Read time: 2 mins

After several notable achievements in the year 2022, staff at University of Fort Hare’s Teaching & Learning Centre (TLC) are looking forward to the 2023 academic year as the Centre continues to make big strides in fostering teaching and learning excellence among students and staff.

Established two decades ago, the UFH TLC seeks to address the changing needs of Higher Education by adhering to national and international standards that enables students and staff to derive the greatest possible benefits from the academic environment at UFH.

The Centre’s vision is to be innovative, well-resourced with committed, professional staff contributing to teaching and learning excellence through reflective and research-based practice. Its mission is to develop and promote responsive and relevant teaching and learning communities of practice.

Key areas of the Centre include teaching development which encapsulates professionalization of academic staff, student academic development programmes, and the integration of technology enhanced learning.   

Some of the notable achievements by the TLC team during 2022 include:

Curriculum Development

  • The team achieved 75% satisfaction ratings in 10 workshops conducted for the 2022 year.
  • The development of a rubric through the Quality Matters programme for reviewing programmes.

Assessment

  • The refining and finalization of the RPL and Assessment policies of UFH.  

Facilitation

  • There are three student academic development programmes: the Supplement Instruction Leaders Programe (Alice) serviced 23 modules, 7127 students over 306 sessions and 370 consultations.
  • The Extended Learning Environment Programme supported 7 modules, 2259 students over 114 sessions and 137 consultations and;
  • The Language and Writing Advancement Programme (Alice) conducted 26 academic writing workshops, reviewed 173 assignments, 5602 student participation in 2022 and 465 tutors were trained on the EL campus.

Teaching Fellowships

  • Following the hosting of the Fellowship workshop,15 Fellowship applications with the Higher Education Academy and 7 have received their accreditation in the FHEA and SFHEA categories.
  • 1 TAU Fellow was awarded.
  • The highlight was the hosting of the Fellowship Indaba with the representatives of TAU and AHE and Stellenbosch university as keynote speakers.
  • Plans are afoot for the Postgrad Diploma in Higher Education and Training programme to acquire accreditation with the Advance Higher Education in the UK to automate awarding of fellowships to the registered candidates in the programme.

University Capacity Development Programme

  • The institution welcomed one more New Generation of Academics Programme nGap lecturer this year bringing the overall number to 11 lecturers.

The Centre has also been represented internationally with a member being part of an USDP exchange scholar programme at the University of Connecticut.        

“The Centre is looking forward to 2023 and aims to continue serving the institution with integrity, excellence and respect,” said the Centre Director, Prof Vuyisile Nkonki.