1. Code of Good Practice Workshop Focus Area 1 Enhancing Academics as Teachers
November 2017

2. Structure Introduction Professional Development Opportunities
Recognition and reward
Performance Management
Policies and Strategies
Workload and Conditions of Service
Structures to Support Professional Learning
Conclusion

3. Introduction/Principles
Integration of the three role of academics
Enhancing student learning and underpinned by social justice concerns
Strategies informed by broader views on HE, the purpose of T & L and change and development
Range of support for academics to learn to teach – balance between formal and informal
PD opportunities throughout academics’ career
No one size fits all – consideration of specific institutional contexts and disciplines

4. PD Opportunities: Should have
Induction newly appointed academics *
Opportunities to participate in formal courses in HE
PD of part-time staff
Mentoring –emerging and middle academics*
Workshops and seminars
Student feedback to inform PD
Divided this section into what institutions should have, that which is desirable and that which is rare in SA but something to consider. Not going to go into each of these areas in depth.

5. Induction Programmes
Different models – range from general induction - faculty specific induction - SLPs. Some compulsory (NWU, UFS, DUT; TUT)
Offered internally or externally - seek support for capacity (MOU with external institutions or MOOCS)
IP integrated with formal qualification - allocate credits towards the PgDipHE (UKZN and RU)
The science faculty programme at WITS was mentioned as exemplary with its combination of induction session, workshops, peer review sessions and a portfolio to be completed by the third year of probation. Can lead to uneveness in the system
RU and DUT recognition of induction programme towards the PgDipHE – UKZN 2 year induction – 80 credits towards the PgDip
Note different appoach taken by UWC – provide annual development for HODs – cascade down to members of department
Exemplary – SU revised PREDAC –embeds a component of the programme in faculties

6. Opportunities to participate in formal courses in HE
Academics motivated by learning opportunities that lead to qualification
Increased no. of PgDips in SA
Institutions without PgDIps – provisions to register in institutions that do
Divided this section into what institutions should have, that which is desirable and that which is rare in SA but something to consider

7. Mentoring: new & mid career academics
Support for promotion at all levels (AAMP)
Support for those entering academic profession
Support for middle managers (CPUT)
AAMP – SUPPORT FOR PROMOTION FROM LECTURER TO SENIOR LECTURER, SL – AP; AP TO P
TEACHING AND LEARNING DEVELOPMENT AND WORKSHOPS FORM AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT

8. Desirable Support for SoTL
Focus on Curriculum Dev and Specific Modules
Training for HODs and Middle Level Managers
Post-graduate Supervision Training
Time off to Enhance Teaching
MOOCs for New Academics
Rare in SA – Impact Studies
SUPPORT FOR SoTL THROUGH MENTORING (CPUT); WRITING FOR PUBLICATION (UKZN); FUNDING FOR SOTL RESEARCH
SOTL CONFERENCE (SU) 2017 CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY 250 ACADEMICS – BEST PAPER AUTHOR SUPPORTED TO ATTEND AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ENHANCEMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH CD – PREVALENT IN UOTS THAT NEEDED TO REVISE THEIR CURRICULA (DUT CURRICULUM RENEWAL PROJECT – ALLOWS FOR CONTEXT SPECIFIC T&L DEVELOPMENT IN DISCIPLINES) (CPUT RESEARCH INTO GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES RESULTED IN A POSITION PAPER ADOPTED BY SENATE) (UFS MODULE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMED
HOD TRAINING – UWC
SUPERVISION AS PEDAGOGY – UJ DEVELOPING SLPS AND A PGDIP IN POSTGRADUATE STUDY
TIME OFF TO FOCUS ON TEACHING OFFERED AT NMU; UL AND UCT

9. Recognition, Reward & Performance Management
Teaching Excellence Awards (emerging and experienced)
Promotion process that recognise T&L
Should have
Chair of T&L
Teaching Track Promotion
Interesting
Noteworthy – typically between 5 and 6 awards are allocated – an exception in NMU where awards made on the basis of criteria with no limit on the number of awards per year. (3 levels Emerging, Teaching Excellence and Distinguished Teaching Excellence Awards)
Chair of Teaching and Learning at UJ
Teaching track – UCT up to SL – critique of this practice is that it reinforces that teaching –research divide
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT – INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES NEED TO BE HARMONISED E.G AT UNISA POLICY ON AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN T&L IS SUPPORTED BY PERFORAMNACE AND PAY PROGRESSION POLICIES
UKZN AND UJ ACADEMICS CAN WEIGHT THEIR FOCUS FOR THE VARIOUS ROLES OF THE ACADEMIC

10. Policies and Strategies
Teaching feature prominently in core university policies (described in different ways – policies; strategies, plans)
Universities ought to have strategic documents outlining PD w.r.t teaching role
Key concepts to capture essence of teaching and learning (‘learning to ‘humanising pedagogy at NMU)
VUT – requires staff to participate in 2 teaching development opportunities per year
UCT has a teaching charter which outlines the responsibilities of staff and students.

11. Workload and Conditions of Service
Workload framework
Should have
Inclusion of 6 major roles
Interesting
Worload frameworks are developed centrally in many SA universities – but in some cases are developed at faculty level. These are often online and linked to HEMIS. The UKZN Teaching workload Framework is discussed in detail in the document and provides a system which facilitates transparency and comparison. The principles underpinning these are discussed in the document.
6 ROLES = SCHOLARLY T&L; PG ACTIVITY; SCHOLARLY RESEARCH ACTIVITY SCHOLARLY SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY; SCOLARLY SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY AND FACULTY MANAGEMENT.

12. STRUCTURES TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Central T&L Centre/Unit
Senate T&L Committee
Faculty-based structure (Individuals resp for T&L or full T&L Centre)
Fac T&L Committee
Deputy Dean T&L
Should have central & faculty-based entities
Academic Development staff with academic status
Should have

13. Concluding Thoughts
Important to point out that there is a need for context-sensitive activities and structures, however there is a clear trend indicating what the minimum requirement is to enhance teaching and learning irrespective of context. Debates are to be had about the notion of good practice and what this may mean in different contexts If an institution is starting a new T&L what advise would you give them? Will this guide help?
At the moment this may read like a recipe – but this is not the intention and this will be corrected/