Vaal Triangle achievers and researchers applauded

VANDERBIJLPARK. -During a recent prestige event the Vaal Triangle Campus applauded its ITEA-achievers and researchers for 2006.

Awards were handed to Prof Hans van Deventer, (best researcher for 2006) Dr Linda Theron, (best lecturer, ITEA, 2006) and Me Daleen Gerber (best lecturer, VERKA, 2005).

According to Prof Tinie Theron, Dean: Vaal Triangle Faculty, the core tasks of an academic are teaching-learning, based on and informed by ongoing research.

This research is published in accredited journals and is of interest to colleagues and students alike. The growth in the number of accredited article equivalents on the Vaal Triangle Campus has increased with almost 50% from 2004. to 32.96. A total of 32.96 article equivalents were published in 2006, compared to the 12.5 published in 2003; 17.16 in 2004; and 32.5 in 2005. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the fact that the 33 article equivalents were produced by only 19 staff members in 2006.

With regard to the campus’s involvement with the Institutional Teaching Excellence Award (ITEA) the full-time academic members of staff, which are involved in contact-teaching, were encouraged to take part in ITEA and by doing so develop their teaching skills and adhere to sound outcomes based teaching principles. The ITEA-champion on the Vaal Triangle Campus for 2006 is Dr Linda Theron from Educational Sciences.

The number of lecturers participating in ITEA has also doubled since the award’s inception in 2003. In 2006 a total of 6 academic members participated in ITEA.

“The academic member of staff should be inspired by their achievements and contributions in making the Vaal Triangle Faculty an academic powerhouse” laments Prof Theron.

From left are Ms Daleen Gerber, best lecturer for 2005, Prof Tinie Theron, Dean: Vaal Triangle Faculty and Dr Linda Theron, best lecturer for 2006. Prof Hans van Deventer, best researcher for 2006, was absent.