UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE

PRESENTATION ON THE ORGANISATION AND OFFERINGS

OF THE CURRENT AND FUTURE

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Pinkie Mdaka and Lulu Kahla

Outline1. Current scenario a. Vision and mission b. Organization of the faculty c. Programs2. University Mandate: Departmental reviews and

restructuring3. Review and restructuring of the Faculty (work in

progress) a. Vision and mission b. Organization of the faculty c. Programs

Current vision

We seek to be a world-class SouthernAfrican Faculty of Education, preparing 21st century educators who are critical, creative problem-solvers, initiators and leaders in education.

MissionWe are committed to:

• learning and teaching excellence in both rural and urban contexts;• offering courses and programmes which are flexible, relevant,

innovative and future orientated;• conducting research projects grounded in the Southern African

experience; and publishing in nationally and internationally-recognized publications.

• interaction with and commitment to our Eastern Cape community, both rural and urban;

• partnerships that promote educational development and excellence;• upholding the values of diversity and inclusivity, and• promoting the University of Fort Hare through the Faculty of Education

as a respected and recognized leader in education, provincially, nationally and internationally.

The structure of the faculty

See transparency

Programs

See transparency

University Restructuring

In 2009 the university management requested ALL academicdepartments to submit a self assessment report that addresses the ffaspects:

a. Vision and mission b. Financial sustainability c. Contribution to making UFH institution of first choice d. Program and curriculum reviews e. Excellence in teaching and learning f. Research and community engagement g. Learning and growth h. Other aspects

FACULTY PROPOSAL - EL (Work in progress)

• Our vision states…”The Department of Education is a vibrant centre of learning, committed to quality teaching, research, and community service, and striving to become a leading teacher education unit, recognised for its service to students, community and the advancement of knowledge”.

The themes underlying our vision include the following: • A vibrant centre of learning: this reflects our commitment to motivating and

encouraging others – staff and students – who are involved in what is often a lonely journey (Cut out) researching or supervising; and our mutual feelings of joy we have when we each accomplish our goals;

• Commitment: It is central to the achievement of our strategic goals;• Quality teaching, research, and community service: our view of quality is linked

to the end-user’s assessment of quality service, and to the maintenance of standards. We pride ourselves on ensuring we are responding to the development needs, locally, and that our service to students and community is timely, accurate, adequate, reliable, and the people delivering the service are competent;

Striving to becoming: suggesting that we are never complacent but always ‘stretching’ ourselves, to ensure that we, not only remain relevant and on the cutting edge of the issues central to our core business, but that we provide the best services (high quality teaching and research) to our students and communities.We see all of these themes aligned with the vision of, not just our faculty but also with that of, the university. (The vision will be crafted once the Department is established)

Cont.

To achieve this, the Department will:• Create and sustain a teaching and learning environment that supports

scholarly inquiry and application of knowledge that guides everyday practice;

• Provide high quality teaching, research training and supervision that will lead to a significant contribution to knowledge;

• Contribute to individual, institutional and national teaching and research agendas that respond to contemporary and future challenges and issues in the field of education;

• Develop and nurture young educational practitioners, researchers and academics;

• Develop and implement a teaching system that reaches the highest standards of excellence.

Vision

Mission statement• The mission of the Department is to provide high

quality teaching and research training, catering for both initial and continuing teacher education. By so doing, we seek to increase the outputs of the Faculty through the provision of an academic environment that: (a) advances intellectual growth, (b) encourages the development of scholarly and praxis-oriented students, and (c) encourages service to the community through knowledge application.

Cont.Each of these statements points to a central theme in our mission: • Commitment to create and sustain a teaching and learning environment that supports

scholarly inquiry and application of knowledge that guides everyday practice;• Commitment to develop and nurture young educational practitioners, researchers and

academics;• A teaching system that conforms with best practice;• High quality teaching, research training and supervision that will lead to significant

contribution to knowledge and best practice in the classroom• Ongoing knowledge dissemination through publications in national and international

academic sources• Contribute to individual, institutional and national teaching and research agendas that

respond to contemporary and future challenges and issues in the field of education. (The mission will be crafted once the Department is established)