By Makaziwe Sopazi

As the 2025 academic year commenced, Rhodes University welcomed a new cohort of academic staff through its Academic Orientation Programme (AOP), which was held from 20 to 24 January 2025. The AOP, themed Becoming a Rhodes Academic, introduced new academic staff to multiple aspects of Rhodes University. These included Rhodes University culture, governance, and the services offered by the library, the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS), the Divisions for Community Engagement, People and Culture, Communication and Advancement, ethics committees, staff unions and the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching, and Learning (CHERTL). CHERTL HoD, Prof Jo-Anne Vorster, encouraged new lecturers to utilise the resources and professional development support programmes offered by CHERTL.

The AOP, organised by Anthea Adams and Masixole Booi, is critical in equipping new academic staff with the tools and knowledge necessary to contribute to the academic project at Rhodes University through teaching, research and community engagement.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Sizwe Mabizela and Deputy Vice-Chancellors Prof ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela and Dr Nomakwezi Mzilikazi warmly welcomed new academic staff members. They highlighted the university's commitment to supporting academics in fostering excellence in teaching and learning, research and community engagement.

A daily highlight was the presentations from the VC's Award winners for teaching, research and community engagement, who provided invaluable insights on achieving excellence as an academic. Associate Professor Boudina McConnachie from Music and Musicology urged new staff to continuously evolve their teaching methods. She emphasised the importance of adaptation and innovation to ensure effective staff and student connection. She identified interdisciplinary collaboration and engaging students actively as key strategies for success. Associate Professor Lausanne Olvitt emphasized that teaching exists within broader contexts. She noted that societal, cultural, political, and economic factors shape pedagogical approaches and must be considered in effective teaching practice.

Ms Sisonke Mawonga, in collaboration with the NRF SARChI Chair, Prof Dion Nkomo, introduced the Language Development Project of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). This project is funded through the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) and aims to promote multilingualism at Rhodes University. Mawonga, the Project Manager, highlighted how multilingualism can be integrated into teaching and learning at the institution.

Distinguished Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka inspired everyone with her reflections on how she started her research trajectory. She offered useful strategies for balancing teaching and research. Relatively new academic staff shared their insights on aspects they wished they had known when they started teaching at Rhodes University. Drs Chekezie Uzuegbunam, Cecelia Nedziwe and Yolani Ndamase commended CHERTL for supporting them as new Rhodes academics. They all stressed the importance of using the opportunities provided by CHERTL in the form of the AOP to network and build community with colleagues.

The AOP programme provided insights into teaching at Rhodes through structured sessions focusing on institutional expectations, integrating technology into teaching and learning and capitalising on research support. Dr Nicola Pallitt and Neil Kramm from CHERTL's EdTech team led sessions focussing on blended teaching and learning. They introduced educational tools to ensure academics are well-prepared to navigate the digital education landscape and rethink assessment and artificial intelligence (AI).             

For many new academic staff, the AOP provided a necessary stepping stone into their academic teaching careers. Third-year Auditing lecturer Bonolo Ntusikazi said that she felt empowered by the AOP, "The orientation was incredibly helpful in understanding the expectations of a Rhodes academic. The discussions on teaching strategies and research support have given me confidence in this new endeavour." Siphuxolo Somnandi from the Faculty of Law added, "I appreciated the emphasis on community engagement and the role academics play beyond the classroom."

The afternoon sessions during AOP provided new staff with opportunities to exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and receive guidance on various aspects of teaching, including how effective assessment practices can enhance both teaching and learning. These sessions also fostered meaningful engagement with CHERTL colleagues, allowing participants to ask questions, gain insights and build a supportive academic network. Feedback on the AOP programme suggests that the new academic staff left with a network of supportive colleagues and a deeper understanding of their roles as university teachers.

"The AOP was unexpectedly valuable to me. The welcoming by the most senior management of the university, their presentations, and the open-door policy really made me feel important and more at home. The orientation was an all-rounder as it touched on all the crucial issues to know and more about academic life at Rhodes. The introduction of all important structures that will be of great importance to my academic trajectory was valuable."

"I learned that blaming students does not solve a problem. I also realised that teaching and learning are evolving and require rethinking, re-imagining, and re-focusing to stay aligned and relevant. I noted the dynamics of a traditional lecturer have pitfalls in the changing environment."

"As a new teacher at Rhodes and in higher education, I would have extremely struggled to find my feet and to adapt to modern forms of teaching."