4 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES ANNUAL REPORT 2021 In response to the new online conditions in Teaching and Learning, the Faculty hosted (with supports from the SARChI Chair: Teaching and Learning and the former ‘Department of Academic Planning, Quality Promotion and Professional Academic Staff Development (DAPQPASD)’ now known as the Division for Teaching Excellence) an international Conference from 28-30 April 2021 on ‘Peak Performances: Covid-19 and the Transformation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (Critical Reflections on Experiences of Teaching and Learning in the Face of the Pandemic: Responses, Complexities, and the Implications of Covid-19 on Higher Education)’. There were around 120 presenters at the Conference and this helped to stimulate further debate around how to teach and how to support student learning in a changed environment. As a student success initiative the Humanities Teaching and Learning Committee facilitated two competitions in 2021. The Committee asked the students to reflect on their online learning experience during lockdown by drawing on their creative energies and submitting to a ‘Humanities Creative Reflections Competition’. The idea was to capture student voices and experiences in diverse formats (poems, storytelling, paintings). Creativity is an essential 21st century skill and we received some outstanding contributions including best painting, best acrostic poem and best short story. Running parallel to this was a ‘best student essay competition’. The Faculty celebrated the hard work and independent academic voices of our Humanities students by acknowledging excellent essay submissions in 2021. A panel of internal and external reviewers assessed the submissions based on the soundness of arguments; attention paid to organisation and structure; and the presence of an academic voice and originality of ideas. Staff awards in Teaching & Learning Humanities staff excelled in 2021 winning prestigious UJ awards for T&L. Prof. Maritha Pritchard (Strategic Communication) won the Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Teacher Excellence and Dr Gcobani Qambela (Anthropology and Development Studies Department) won the Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Most Promising Young Teacher of the Year. Prof. Thembisa Waetjen (History Department) won the Faculty of Humanities Award for Innovation in Teaching & Learning. The award for Best Post-Graduate Teacher went to Dr Asheel Singh (Philosophy Department), with a special mention for Dr Magas Pather (LANCSAL). The Going the Extra Mile in Teaching & Learning award went to Dr Mziwandile Sobantu (Social Work). Prof. Corné Meintjes (Strategic Communication) and Dr Gcobani Qambela (Anthropology and Development Studies Department). Prof. Sikhumbuzo Mngadi (English Department) won the ‘True Educator’ Award, a student nomination which celebrates a lecturer who demonstrates extraordinary commitment in seeing a student through from undergraduate to postgraduate studies. BA Extended Degree Humanities is one of only four Faculties that offers Extended Degree Programmes (CBE, Engineering, Science). The “new” BA Extended Degrees programmes that offers students four focus areas, (based on the augmenting major) namely Development Studies, Linguistics, Language Practice and Strategic Communication, were approved by DHET for implementation from 2021. DHET also approved the increase in foundation credits from 0.5 to 1.00, this will result in increased foundation grant funding for the Faculty to support Extended Teaching and Learning activities (tutors, support lecturers etc). In 2021, a total of 238 new (F+T+E) students were enrolled, as per the approved increase in F headcount target from 180 to 230. The total F enrolment for 2021 was, 230. The overall headcount for Extended Degrees was 729. The Faculty of Humanities is the only Faculty offering Extended degrees that has a standalone Unit within the Dean’s office. The Extended Degree office, manages and provides support to extended degree students throughout their 4-year life cycle The Extended Programme offers the following augmenting and full foundational modules. Study period 1: • Mastering of Academic and Professional Skills (MHUEX01) [Full Foundational Module] • English 1C&1D (ENGEXC1&ENGEXD1) [Full Foundational Module] • ONE of the Following as Compulsory Majors as per degree focus area: - Development Studies 1A&1B (DEVEXA1&DEVEXB1) [Augmenting Module] - Linguistics 1A&1B (LINEXA1&LINEXB1) [ Augmenting Module] - Strategic Communication 1A&1B (SCOEXA1&SCOEXB1) [ Augmenting Module Study period 2: • Philosophy 1A (PHLEXA1) [Augmenting Module] • Business Communication B [Augmenting Module]
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