A lecturer from the NWU’s Mafikeng Campus took top honours at the university’s annual Institutional Teaching Excellence Awards (ITEA) ceremony.
Dr Liqhwa Siziba of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences’ academic literacy unit was the winner in the Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award (DTEA) category. She is the first lecturer from the Mafikeng Campus to receive this recognition.
The awards ceremony took place on Friday, 8 April during a gala dinner at Crista Galli in Potchefstroom.
Awards were presented in three categories, namely the Emerging Teaching Excellence Award (ETEA), the Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) and the Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award (DTEA).
These faculties excelled
There were 42 awards in total. The faculty that produced the most winners is the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology on the Vaal Triangle Campus with six winners, followed by the Potchefstroom Campus’s Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Education Sciences with five winners each.
The purpose of the awards
The awards recognise excellence in the provision of teaching and learning. The awards process identifies and encourages innovative and outstanding teaching that takes place across all the campuses of the NWU. The awards celebrate and publicise contributions that lecturers make to student learning.
The awards are given to show appreciation to lecturers for their commitment and dedication to student success and also encourage academics to develop in the field of teaching and learning.
The categories
This is the second year that awards have been given in these categories. The ITEA policy was revised and approved by Senate in 2013. The revised ITEA process was implemented in 2014.
The Emerging Teaching Excellence Award (ETEA) rewards emerging lecturers for excellent teaching. It recognises lecturers who display a long-term vision for their professional and career development by means of exceptional and proven achievement towards innovation in teaching and learning in their field.
The Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) is awarded to lecturers who have exceptional and proven achievements in teaching excellence. They use innovative approaches to facilitate learning that inspires and challenges students. Their methods of lecturing encourage scholarly teaching that leads to contextualised teaching approaches and strategies that make learning accessible, applicable and valid to students in a specific discipline.
The Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award (DTEA) commends distinguished scholars in teaching and learning. The award recognises lecturers for leadership and achievement in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Excellence is endorsed by awarding the DTEA as a commendation within the category of TEA.
How lecturers are evaluated
Participants in the awards must comply with at least 80% of the criteria in the individual categories. They must submit a reflective portfolio as evidence of their teaching and learning activities. There is also observation of at least two learning opportunities, one of which is unannounced.
TEA Award participants are expected to make presentations at an annual campus or faculty colloquium on teaching and learning.
Their reflective portfolios are moderated by teams or panels that consist of representatives of Institutional Academic Development Support (ADS) and ADS teaching advisors from the three NWU campuses.
The reflective portfolios of DTEA winners are moderated internally and externally.
Here are the winners
NWU applauds the best lecturers
The winners of the Potchefstroom Campus are at the back: Dr Mark Rathbone (TEA), Prof Gert Breed (ETEA), Dr Philip van der Merwe (TEA), Prof Jako Olivier (TEA), Kotie Kaiser (TEA) and Dr Dawid Serfontein (TEA). In the third row are Dr Louisemarié Rathbone (TEA), Dr Lizelle Brink (ETEA), Dr Janet Liebenberg (TEA), Dr Tertia Oosthuizen (TEA), Dr Robin Dolman (TEA), René Koraan (TEA) and Adéle Jordaan (TEA). In the second row are Dr Marlene Wiggill (TEA), Prof Lené Jorgensen (TEA), Elsabe Weyer (ETEA), Karin Martens (TEA), Prof Christa Rautenbach (TEA) and Dr Anri Botes (TEA). In front are Prof Rantoa Letsosa, vice-rector for teaching-learning, Prof Fika Janse van Rensburg, acting campus rector and Prof Dan Kgwadi, vice-chancellor.
The winners of the Vaal Triangle Campus are at the back: Dr Chrisna Botha-Ravyse (TEA), Lana Harmse (ETEA), Olive Stumke (ETEA), Naomi du Plessis (ETEA), Anneke Butler (TEA) and Dr Johan Steytler (TEA). In front are Prof Tinie Theron, acting vice-rector for academic, Prof Linda du Plessis, acting campus rector, and Prof Dan Kgwadi, vice-chancellor.
The winners of the Mafikeng Campus are at the back: Abigail Mooketsi (ETEA), Emile Coetzee (ETEA) and Charlene Lanser-Labuschagne (ETEA). In the second row are Estie Gresse (TEA), Dr Liqhwa Siziba (DTEA), Prof Andrew Maredza (ETEA), Prof Yvonne du Plessis (TEA) and Dr Washington Dudu (ETEA). In front are Prof Lumkile Lalendle, vice-rector for teaching-learning and quality assurance, Prof Mashudu Maselesele, campus rector, and Prof Dan Kgwadi, vice-chancellor.
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Dr Liqhwa Siziba is the winner of the prestigious Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award. She says she is humbled and honoured. “I did not make the journey alone; numerous people have supported me along the way. I owe thanks to my parents, amazing professors, friends and academic mentors. To everyone who motivates and supports me, I salute you.”
Liqhwa says the award is a reminder to work harder each day and focus on her students’ learning needs. “I consider it an honour to walk into a classroom and inspire students to critically think about the world they live in.” Liqhwa says receiving awards is wonderful, but helping a student on his or her educational journey is reward enough. “I am one of those fortunate people who go home every day knowing that I make a difference in my community just by being a teacher. My greatest reward is being a teacher.”
Overall winner - Dr Liqhwa Siziba
BACK
Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award (DTEA) x
DR LIQHWA SIZIBA,
Human and Social Sciences
Emerging Teaching Excellence Award (ETEA) x
PROF GERT BREED,
Theology
DR LIZELLE BRINK,
Economic and Management Sciences
MR EMILE COETZEE,
Human and Social Sciences
MS ZANDRI DICKASON,
Economic Sciences and Information Technology
DR WASHINGTON DUDU,
Education and Training
MS NAOMI DU PLESSIS,
Humanities
MS LUZAAN HAMILTON,
Economic Sciences and Information Technology
MS LANA HARMSE,
Economic Sciences and Information Technology
PROF ANDREW MAREDZA,
Commerce and Administration
MS ABIGAIL MOOKETSI,
Commerce and Administration
MS CHARLENE LANSER-LABUSCHAGNE,
Law
MS OLIVE STUMKE,
Economic Sciences and Information Technology
MS ELSABE WEYER,
Natural Sciences
Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) x
DR ANRI BOTES,
Law
DR CHRISNA BOTHA-RAVYSE,
Economic Sciences and Information Technology
MS ANNEKE BUTLER,
Humanities
DR ROBIN DOLMAN,
Health Sciences
PROF YVONNE DU PLESSIS,
Commerce and Administration
MS ADRI DU TOIT,
Education Sciences
MS ESTIE GRESSE,
Law
MR KOBUS HAVENGA,
Education Sciences
MS ADÉLE JORDAAN,
Arts
PROF LENÉ JORGENSEN,
Economic and Management Sciences
MS KOTIE KAISER,
Education Sciences
MS RENÉ KORAAN,
Law
DR ELIZE KÜNG,
Humanities
MS DOROTHY LAUBSCHER,
Education Sciences
DR JANET LIEBENBERG,
Natural Sciences
MS KARIN MARTENS,
Education Sciences
PROF JAKO OLIVIER,
Arts
DR TERTIA OOSTHUIZEN,
Health Sciences
PROF OLIVIER OLELA OTAFUDU,
Agriculture, Science and Technology
DR LOUISEMARIÉ RATHBONE,
Arts
DR MARK RATHBONE,
Economic and Management Sciences
PROF CHRISTA RAUTENBACH,
Law
DR DAWID SERFONTEIN,
Engineering
DR JOHAN STEYTLER,
Humanities
MS MARIAAN VAN ASWEGEN,
Human and Social Sciences
DR PHILIP VAN DER MERWE,
Arts
DR DIANA VILJOEN,
Economic Sciences and Information Technology
DR MARLENE WIGGILL,
Arts