Part of a bigger picture
Antoinette Vermeulen explains that the review is part of the ongoing alignment of the NWU’s processes and documentation against the Council on Higher Education’s programme accreditation criteria.
“Every programme at the NWU should have completed an internal programme evaluation review in a six-year cycle. This is headed by the school director, faculty quality coordinator and senior staff members of the programme.”
In the case of external programme evaluations, the executive dean of the faculty selects and nominates programmes for review in close collaboration with the Quality Enhancement Office.
The Faculty of Humanities has received its first ever external programme “commendation” ― the best result possible ― from an external review panel.
“This is a fantastic achievement and one we are exceptionally proud of,” says Prof Anné Verhoef, director of the School of Philosophy.
Among the best
“It confirms that the NWU is offering an excellent MPhil programme and puts us on par with, or even better than, some of the similar national and international master’s programmes.”
The panel review was conducted on 3 and 4 August 2021 on an electronic platform with Prof Alida Herbst, director of the NWU’s School of Psychosocial Health, as chairperson and panel members from the Netherlands, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Every aspect of the programme was evaluated. “It was especially the teaching and learning, research and supervision criteria that were singled out as commendable, which says something of the hard work of all the lecturers.
“There are also some recommendations made by the review panel, and we will definitely follow up to ensure we improve the programme even more.”
An extraordinary achievement
Antoinette Vermeulen, who recently retired as quality manager for academic programmes in the Quality Enhancement Office, says only two other master’s programmes have ever received a commendation at the NWU, namely Nutrition and Business Mathematics.
The only undergraduate programme that has received a commendation is Transport Economics in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.
A peer-reviewed process
“During the external programme evaluation process, national and international peers from other institutions and industry are invited to review and evaluate the programme and make relevant recommendations or commendations,” she says.
Antoinette and Dr Mokgadi Molope, senior lecturer in development studies and deputy director for community engagement and internationalisation in the School of Social Sciences, guided Anné and his team in completing the successful internal programme evaluation review report and providing supporting documentation.
Anné thanks all staff members involved in preparing for the review, and also the students who participated in the evaluation process.
External reviewers issue a rare commendation for our
"The review confirms that the NWU is offering an excellent MPhil programme and puts us on par with, or even better than, some of the similar national and international master’s programmes.”
– Prof Anné Verhoef –
MPhil programme
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programme is the third master’s programme at the NWU to receive such a commendation since the internal and external programme reviews began in 2004.
Prof Anné Verhoef says receiving an external programme commendation assures you that the MPhil Philosophy degree at the NWU is one of the best you can get.
Antoinette Vermeulen says she could not have retired on a higher note. “This commendation is a wonderful way to end almost 65 programme reviews during my career.”