“As a newly-appointed lecturer, you will need someone to advise you on how to set up a paper, how to connect with your students and how to plan a career path for yourself.  We cannot assume that you know these things. That is why we are here.”

These were the words of Dr Esmarie Strydom, director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL - previously known as Academic Development and Support), as she welcomed a group of new lecturers at the first session of the Institutional Course for New Lecturers (ICNL) Phase 2 on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark. 

The Centre of Teaching and Learning (CTL) may be found on each campus of the North-West University (Mahikeng, Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark). The second phase of the ICNL (Institutional Course for Newly-appointed Lecturers) takes place on each of the lecturers’ home campus.   Dr Strydom continued to explain that CTL’s business includes leading and supporting student learning, improving the status of teaching and learning and guiding and supporting lecturers in all aspects of teaching and learning. She added that CTL aims to provide opportunities to lecturers to develop teaching competencies by offering workshops, conferences and by building communities for sharing best practice.

The programme continued with discussions on the policies of teaching and learning at the NWU and on the attributes of a successful academic mentor by current academic mentors.  Student support was the next topic on the agenda as was the use of the Learning Management System, eFundi and the One Button Studio (OBS). Day two of the programme was reserved for micro-lessons and the critical evaluation of said lessons as a rich learning opportunity.

The Institutional Course for Newly-appointed Lecturers (ICNL) is compulsory for all newly-appointed academic staff of the NWU and it is completed within the year of appointment. The ICNL consists of two phases, the ICNL Phase 1, an institutional programme, and the ICNL Phase 2, a campus-based induction programme, managed by Academic Developers from CTL. The CTL theme for 2017 is "Let's Invent the Future" with the underlying principle of "Care".

For more information on the ICNL or services and support offered at CTL visit: https://services.nwu.ac.za/academic-development-and-support/home

 

A group of newly-appointed lecturers were recently welcomed at the ICNL Phase 2 course on the NWU’s campus in Vanderbijlpark.