​SU Teaching Fellows Recognition

At the annual Teaching Excellence Awards and Research Excellence Awards ceremony on 4 December 2018, at STIAS, five SU academics received certificates in honour of their completion of their Teaching Fellowships. Profs. Elmarie Costandius, Ian Nell, Dana Niehaus, Nicola Plastow and Geo Quinot completed their fellowships between 2011 and 2017.

Prof. Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, who presented the certificates, emphasised the opportunities for SU lecturers to research their teaching as part of the professionalization of their teaching role. Examples of such opportunities are the annual SoTL conference and the FINLO/FIRLT grants. Prof. Schoonwinkel described academics' professional teaching journey as a “progressive route" which could lead to an SU Teaching Fellowship and, ultimately, a national Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) Fellowship.

The SU Teaching Fellowship scheme provides the opportunity for excellent teachers and scholars of teaching and learning to spend more consistent periods of time, with various forms of support, to focus on aspects of renewal, exploration and dissemination of good practice in departments and faculties.

Current holders of a teaching fellowship are:

• Prof. Ingrid Rewitzky (Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Science)
• Dr Elize Archer (Centre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
• Dr Berna Gerber (Division of Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
• Ms Marianne McKay (Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Faculty of AgriSciences)
• Dr Michael Schmeisser (Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of AgriSciences)
• Dr Marianne Unger (Division of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)

Any questions about the Teaching Fellowships can be directed to Dr Karin Cattell-Holden, kcattell@sun.ac.za or X 3074. More information about the SoTL conference and the FINLO/FIRTL grants is available on the CTL website at http://www.sun.ac.za/ctl .  

On the photograph:  Prof. Arnold Schoonwinkel with (from the left, top row) Prof. Elmarie Costandius, Prof. Ian Nell and Prof. Dana Niehaus.  Bottom left Prof. Arnold Schoonwinkel with Prof. Nicola Plastow.  Bottom right:  Prof. Geo Quinot (he out of town on the date of the ceremony.)