The work of CHERTL involves the development of academic staff as professional educators, the promotion and assurance of quality in teaching and learning, and the development of student learning in conjunction with academic departments, the latter more directly through the work of the Extended Studies Unit (ESU). In addition CHERTL also functions as an academic department of Rhodes University focused on Higher Education as a field of study and the development of teaching and learning in higher education.
The Centre conducts research on teaching and learning in higher education and offers formal programmes in Higher Education Studies contributing to the development of quality teaching and learning. The Centre is also responsible for promoting service-learning within the institution, for the administration and development of the New Generation of Academics (nGAP), for enhancing the quality of short courses and supporting tutor coordinators.
The scope of CHERTL’s work moves beyond the institution, playing an active role at national and international levels. CHERTL contributes significantly to the national higher education landscape, both through the offering of formal qualifications at other institutions as well as through representation on national bodies such as the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) and the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC).
