Centre for Teaching and Learning
Welcome to Stellenbosch University

Institutional Policies

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Stellenbosch University strives to contribute to society at large, through advancing knowledge in service of society. Excellence is the underlying value in all undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and learning programmes at the University. In the “Strategic Framework 2019 – 2024", the University's vision for the field of teaching and learning is centred around a learning-centred approach, captured in the core strategic theme of “networked and collaborative teaching and learning". This approach is formulated as follows:

The University promotes a learning-centred approach to teaching (and learning) that focuses on learning as a partnership, where students are seen as co-creators of knowledge and learning environments." 


This vision is complemented by one of the main aims of the University's “Strategy for Teaching and Learning 2017 – 2021":

… to give direction in achieving the aims set for this University to remain one of the leading universities in South Africa – also in the domain of teaching and learning."​​


Policy documents and reports that provide institutional guidance:


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The SU Teaching & Learning Poli​​cy:

SU Teaching  Learning Policy.jpg

​Open this link for an infographic of the Teaching and Learning policy, with links to key paragraphs.


The following table contains a variety of institutional policy documents and reports, focusing on teaching and learni​​ng:

​​​​​​ Teaching & L​ea​rning Polic​y​
​​​Last Approved:
26 ​September​ 2018​​​ (The policy is currently being updated.)
​Revision Date: 
​The Policy must be reviewed during its fifth year of operation. It may be reviewed earlier, or more than once during its period of operation, if the owner of the Policy considers it necessary.
Curator: 
​Senior Director: Learning and Teaching Enhancement ​​
​​Purp​ose/Brief: 

​To promote an enabling institutional environment where quality teaching and learning can flourish across the student body, the academic staff cohort, support services divisions and management bodies.​​
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​​Assessment Policy
​​Last Approved:
2021
​Revision Date: 
​2026
Curator: 
Centre for Teaching and Learning ​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
​To provide a framework for establishing valid, reliable and justifiable assessment practices and for setting clear criteria according to which faculties can orient and evaluate such practices​.
View the Infographic here.
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Relevant Assessment terminology:


​​​Early Assessment: Protocol​​
​​Last Approved:
2008/2009​
​Revision Date: 
2017
Curator: 
Student Affairs ​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
​To explain the early assessment (EA) system, and to answer some of the questions about this initiative.  EA is described in the First-year Academy report as tests or any other method of assessment that can give a good indication of which students might be high-risk cases in certain modules, to ensure that the required help and support is provided early enough. This description thus also explains the purpose of the early assessment process.​
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​​Fund for Innovation and Research into Learning and Teaching​
​​Last Approved:
18 April 2019
​Revision Date: 
September 2021​
Curator: 
Senior Director: Division of Learning and Teaching Enhancement​ ​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
​To enhance learning and teaching for lecturers and students through the funding of learning and teaching projects that are either innovative or research-focused. To provide continuous support from the institution to the sustainability of the FIRLT.​
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​​​​​​ Guidelines for making recordings available
​​​Last Approved:8 August 2022
​Revision Date: 
​To be revised periodically by the Committee for Learning and Teaching as required.

Curator: 
​Senior Director: Learning and Teaching Enhancement ​​
​​Purp​ose /Brief:

​This document outlines the background and first principles, possible strategies for pre- and post-lecture
engagement with study material, general guidelines when recording lectures and/or making them
available to students as well as further issues and actions to be followed up.
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​​Guidelines Relating To SU's Extended Degree Programmes (EDP​​)​
​​Last Approved:
2010
​Revision Date: 
Under review
Curator: 
Centre for Teaching and Learning​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
​To conceptualise, operationalise and manage EDP programmes in alignment with the University's mission.​​​
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Relevant DHET policies:​

20 03 18 General foundation policy.pdf
20 03 18 Funding policy on foundation provisioning.pdf


​​Conceptual Framework Document for Academic Literacies at Stellenbosch University​
​​Last Approved:
March/April 2021​​
​Revision Date: 
Curator: 
Director: Language Centre​​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
​To provide a comprehensive background and conceptual framework regarding academic literacies (AL) and why there is a need for these in tertiary curricula; update the working definition for AL and identify the gaps in the offerings based on a survey done, which will aid the University and programme designers in both current initiatives as well as the implementation of new approaches and practices; clarify what services are currently available and the modes in which they offer support to faculties in the development of AL and outline the financial implications ; and propose suggestions for the way forward for faculties​​.​
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​​Digital and Information Skills Training Framework​​
​​Last Approved:
5 May 2022
​Revision Date: 
2022
Curator: 
Library and Information Service ​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
The Framework describes the development of different levels of digital and information skills. It articulates broad principles and ways of integrating information skills into teaching and learning keeping in mind the overlap of information literacy with other literacies like digital, media and data literacies. The collaboration by the library with academic- and support services staff fosters innovative programmes for expanding information skills. Through these programmes, students achieve outcomes which are transferable into their careers as SU graduates.​

​​Internal And External Moderation and the Processing of Results
​​Last Approved:
August / September 2014 
​Revision Date: 
2019 (currently under review)
Curator: 
Institutional Research and Planning ​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
​​To ensure that standard practices are followed about peer evaluation (via internal and/or moderation) in all modules and programmes.
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​​Plagiarism Policy​​
​​Last Approved:
2016
​Revision Date: 
2021 (currently under revision)
Curator: 
Research Development​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To ensure that mechanisms are in place to enable staff and students to promote academic integrity and eliminate plagiarism.
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​​SU Procedure for the investigation and management of allegations of plagiarism​
​​Last Approved:
2016
​Revision Date: 
2021  (currently under revision)
Curator: 
Research Development​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To ensure that plagiarism cases are dealt with consistently and fairly.​
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​​Regulations for peer-to-peer learning support​
​​Last Approved:
2020
​Revision Date: 
Every five to six years 
Curator: 
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To regulate the practices related to the employment and use of students for teaching and learning support​​​​​.
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​​Regulation for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT)​
​​Last Approved:
2017
​Revision Date: 
Every five years (currently under revision)
Curator: 
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To provide a quality assurance framework for the recognition of prior informal and non-formal learning within RPL, as well as of formal learning within CAT​​​​.​
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​​Guidelines​ for Programme Committee Chairs and Programme Leaders
​​Last Approved:
2018
​Revision Date: 
2023
Curator: 
Centre for Academic Planning and Quality Assurance (APQ) 
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To describe the roles, duties and responsibilities of Programme Committee Chairs and Programme Leaders who work within and across departments and faculties at Stellenbosch University.
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​​Strategy for Teaching and Learning​​
​​Last Approved:
2017
​Revision Date: 
2021 (currently under review)
Curator: 
Centre for Teaching and Learning​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To formulate the SU graduate attributes and to provide for operationalising the vision and strategic priorities for teaching and learning.​

​​Strategy for Using ICT i​n Teaching and Learning​
​​Last Approved:
2013
​Revision Date: 

Curator: 
Centre for Learning​​ Technologies
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To formulate a vision and strategy for the effective and efficient utilisation of ICTs in teaching and learning.​
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​​Student Feedback​ Policy
​​Last Approved:
2008
​Revision Date: 
Currently under revision 
Curator: 
Centre for Teaching and Learning​​
​​Purpose/Brief: 
​To provide detailed regulations about obtaining and utilising student feedback. Student feedback is aimed at the support and promotion of quality teaching at SU. ​

Also see the Revision of the Student ​Feedback system:  Interim report of the Task Team, 28 April 2015​


​​Success of Top Athletes​
​​Last Approved:
2016
​Revision Date: 

Curator: 
Maties Sport
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To ​establish principles and provisions for the formal acknowledgement of the performance of top student-athletes in the co-curriculum and to offer academic support.​
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​​Regulation for the Committee for Learning, Teaching​​​ and Assessment​ (CTLA)
​​Last Approved:
202​3
​Revision Date: 
As needed
Curator: 
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
​​Purpose/Brief: 
To regulate the practices related to the work of the Committee for Teaching, Learning and Assessment (CTLA)​
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​​Recommendations of the Task Team for the Promotion and Recognition of Teaching
​​Last Approved:
2015
​Revision Date: 
As needed
Curator: 
Senior Director: Division for Learning and Teaching Enhancement
​​Purpose/Brief: 
This report outlines the institutional guidelines for the promotion, recognition and reward of good teaching at SU.