VUT ACADEMIC, THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE TEACHING ADVANCEMENT AT UNIVERSITIES FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME
By: Qhawekazi Memani – 19 January 2023
Dr Chemunondirwa Christopher Chitumwa;VUT’s Head of Department: Education
In the most recent cycle of the Teaching Advancement at Universities (TAU) Fellowship Program, Dr Chemunondirwa Christopher Chitumwa, VUT’s Head of Department: Education within the Faculty of Human Sciences, was awarded recognition as a TAU Fellow.
The TAU Programme is a nation-wide intervention which seeks to advance teaching quality and the professionalisation of teaching and learning in the public higher education sphere. It also aims to maximise participant engagement in the workspace and to promote collaboration across universities and disciplines.
Elated about the achievement, Dr Chitumwa reckons that the achievement has advanced his knowledge and skills in many areas including teaching and learning; governance, leadership, and management in higher education; Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) research. He says, it further upped his notch in establishing a self-reflexive practice, exploring possibilities for achieving social justice within scholarly teaching through collaborative engagements at an institutional, regional, and cross-institutional level.
Additionally, the opportunity has broadened his knowledge and skills in interdisciplinary community collaboration and development; and has strengthened his capacity to be a change agent and leader to advancing socially just teaching and learning practices in the University and beyond.
“I hope to cascade the acquired knowledge and skills in our institution starting with my immediate department,” he said. He further urged other staff members to take the opportunity to sharpen their knowledge and skills. “I thank the VUT management for allowing me to represent the institution; the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) for supporting universities in South Africa to reinvent themselves. Lastly, I would like to thank Prof Jeff Jawitz and the team for the excellent work in organising the TAU programme,” concluded Dr Chitumwa.
Prof Michael Masemola, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences at VUT congratulated Dr Chitumwa. “This is a lofty achievement for both the faculty and the University in its entirety – Dr Chitumwa has done us proud,” said Prof Masemola.