35 The year started with a new HOD, two new Associate Professors joining the team, several permanent staff members on sabbatical (an average of four per semester), a delayed start to the academic year for first years, preparing for online teaching during the first semester and longing for a return to ‘normal’ in second semester (which did not happen), online teams meetings for most of the year, several colleagues testing positive, presenting at conferences or webinars and attending our organisational development (OD) workshops, also online. The seven series OD programme was commissioned in 2020 with the main purpose to develop the Strategic Communication team into a high-performing team. This must have been one of the toughest walks for many of us and much had to be learned, old memories and habits had to be left along the way, resulting into a deeper knowing of ourselves and others which sometimes involved very emotional sessions. Like any journey this one presented us with challenges, achievements, a level of mindfulness and understanding of each other and our different realities often difficult to achieve during physical engagement and so much more when having to attempt it during virtual engagements. The following sections present an overview of milestones achieved by all. Teaching and learning During the first year of COVID-19, we had the priviledge to experience the leadership of an innovative, award winning teacher, Prof Maritha Pritchard. She ensured that we were equipped and ready to continue with online teaching in 2021. For good measure we added another challenge, namely, continuous assessment model to all modules. The 10 qualifications, with an average of 34 modules per semester, offered by permanent and part time lecturers, on two different campuses, require careful planning, coordination and continuous review. The support of two administrators, three student assistants, two senior tutors and 13 tutors allocated to the various modules ensured that our students received quality and relevant content throughout the year. Pass rates and student throughput rates seem to be maintained in spite of online teaching which presents its own challenges. These challenges were addressed on all levels with students (including tutors) provided with data packages (courtesy of UJ management), flexible lecturing patory Visual Research and Activism. Sense Publishers: Rotterdam, 2016. Community engagement, Tomaselli is a member of the Small Business Development Creative Industries Master Plan Industries Reference Group, with regard to the “Publishing Key Action Plan”, and the legal committee of the Publishing Association of South Africa. His election as chair of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Committee for Scholarly Publishing in SA (CSPiSA) in May, requires him also to chair the ASSAf National Scholarly Book Publishing Forum and the National Scholarly Editors’ Forum. CSPiSA advises on national policy and oversees the entire scholarly publishing enterprise, providing oversight of the R2.5 billion in DHET publishing incentives annually transferred to universities. Editor: the ANFASA Magazine (Academic and Non-fiction Author’s Association of SA) works with Critical Arts and NIHSS in training graduate students and publishing their essays on authorship. Short columns for UKZNdaba Online, SA Journal of Science, University World News, Daily Maverick (Citizen) and ANFASA Magazine are being published continuously. KG Tomaselli, January 2022 3 http://www.nteu.org.au/article/Academentia%3A-a-portentous-concept-%28AUR-63-02%29-22974 Department of Strategic Communication Introduction Many colleagues often commented that this year was more challenging than last year and that COVID-19 restrictions presented them with feelings of unce-tainty, chaos and disappointment. Yet, when reflecting on the many achievements, the tenacity and resilience of our staff and students two well-known quotes by Madiba come to mind, “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb” and “It always seems impossible until it’s done”.
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