NWU rewards its top lecturers
POTCHEFSTROOM – The North-West University (NWU) recently reached two historical milestones when, for the first time ever, five lecturers from the Mafikeng Campus received an Institutional Teaching Excellence Award (ITEA) and two lecturers from the Potchefstroom Campus received a special recognition award for excellence in creative work at a recent gala dinner.
Mr Ian Marley, a lecturer and artist of the School of Communication Studies and Dr Franci Greyling, a lecturer and writer of the School of Languages, both in the Faculty of Arts, were the recipients of the newly instated award for artistic or creative output, initiated by the Potchefstroom Campus.
Another three lecturers received the award for best lecturers on their respective campuses. They were Dr Helen Drummond of the Faculty for Agriculture, Science and Technology of the Mafikeng Campus, Ms Betty Breed of the Faculty for Educational Sciences on the Potchefstroom Campus and Dr Werner Nell of the School for Behavioural Sciences on the Vaal Triangle Campus.
In addition, 29 lecturers on the Potchefstroom Campus and five on the Vaal Triangle Campus received institutional teaching-learning awards. Ten of these awards were made in the category Institutional Prestige Teaching Excellence Awards, where participants received marks of 80% or more, 19 were made in the category Institutional Teaching Excellence Awards with marks between 75% and 79%, and ten were made in the category Development Programme for Teaching Excellence, where participants received between 70% and 74%.
Dr Ngoato Takalo, NWU Vice-Principal and Executive Director: Teaching-Learning, says ITEA is aimed at encouraging academic members of staff involved in contact teaching at the NWU to develop their teaching skills.
Evaluation panels, consisting of a member of the relevant faculty’s teaching/curriculum committee, a senior subject specialist as well as a member of the campus academic development and support unit, conduct peer reviews of the ITEA participants. The ITEA criteria include an evaluation of innovation and excellence in contact sessions, student feedback, as well as an evaluation of a portfolio of the teacher. The stimulation of innovation and the use of technology in teaching and learning were also taken into account as part of the criteria.
The first institutional teaching-learning awards since the establishment of the NWU in 2004 were made in 2007, for the ITEA 2006 participants from the Potchefstroom and Vaal Triangle campuses.
Dr Ngoato Takalo, NWU Vice-Principal and Executive Director: Teaching and Learning (front row, second from right), and members of the Mafikeng Campus Management congratulate the award winners from the Mafikeng Campus. Back row from left: Prof Philip Iya, Director: School of Undergraduate Study - Law, Ms Vuyo Wayi, (award winner), Dr Mogege Mosimege, Vice-Rector, Mafikeng Campus, Ms Karen Visser, (award winner) Prof Reinford Khumalo, Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Administration and Prof Sevid Mashego, Vice-Rector: Quality and Planning. Front row from left: Dr Helen Drummond, (award winner and best lecturer), Dr Nthi Mokoena, Director of the Academic Development Centre (ADC), Mrs Thoko Magodielo, (award winner), and Dr Masabata Ranko-Ramaili, Senior Academic Development Officer, ADC. Not present: Dr Kulasiri Perera, (award winner).
Mr Ian Marley (second from left) of the School of Communication Studies and Dr Franci Greyling (third from left) of the School of Languages, both in the Faculty of Arts, Potchefstroom Campus, received awards for creative output at a recent gala event. Potchefstroom Campus colleagues celebrating with them, are from left Prof Paul Schutte, Director: School of Communication Studies, Prof Jan Swanepoel, Dean: Faculty of Arts, Prof Annette Combrink, Rector, and Prof Mariëtte Lowes, Vice-Rector: Academic.
Present at the ITEA gala event were in the front row from left: Dr Estelle van Hamburg, Academic Support Services (Potchefstroom Campus), Prof Mariëtte Lowes, Vice-Rector: Academic, Potchefstroom Campus, Dr Ngoato Takalo, NWU Vice-Principal and Executive Director: Teaching-Learning, and Prof Annette Combrink, Rector: Potchefstroom Campus. In the back row from left: Prof Susan Coetzee-Van Rooy, Institutional Director: Academic Development and Support, Mr Pierre Volschenk, Academic Support Services, Potchefstroom Campus, Profs Japie Spoelstra and Gunther Drevin, both award winners from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Potchefstroom Campus, and Prof Kobus Pienaar, Dean: Faculty of Natural Sciences, Potchefstroom Campus.
Enquiries:
Prof Susan Coetzee-van Rooy
Institutional Director: Academic Development and Support
Tel. (018) 299 2720
Ms Phumzile Mmope, NWU Institutional Office
Executive Director: Corporate Affairs and Relations
(018) 299 4931 / 073 2189691
Date: 13 March 2008