COMMITMENT COMPETENCIES

Personal growth plays a vital role in the life of a university lecturer, regardless of whether one is an early-career academic or a full professor. It involves continuous reflection, learning, and adaptation to evolving teaching practices, research demands, and student needs.

Engaging in personal and professional development not only enhances subject expertise but also strengthens teaching effectiveness, resilience, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the academic community.

By intentionally investing in your own growth, you will remain relevant and innovative, and be better equipped to support student success while advancing your career.

• When last did I actively reflect on and update my teaching practices to better support student learning?
• In what ways have I grown professionally in the past year, and where do I still need development?
• How am I balancing my teaching, research, and personal well-being to sustain long-term growth?
• What new skills or knowledge areas should I pursue to remain relevant in my discipline?
• How intentionally am I setting goals for both my personal development and academic career progression?

• Bethany Smith & Lynne Wyness (07 Aug 2024): What makes professional teacher development in universities effective? Lessons from an international systematised review, Professional Development in Education, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2024.2386666
• Download attached article

The Centre for Academic Staff Development (CASD) plays an essential role in providing opportunities for staff (who are disciplinary experts) and tutors to develop their educational expertise in order to become better facilitators of learning. It does this by offering the following:

• Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education - a formal qualification for academics in the post-school environment
• Academic Preparation Programme - a semester-long programme for staff new to UJ
• Professional Development Workshops - provide opportunities for academics to develop in various areas of teaching and learning
• Tutor Development - a College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) approved tutor training programme for tutors and senior tutors
• Teaching Portfolio Development - support for applicants seeking promotion and/or teaching awards
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) - support for the development of research in Teaching and Learning
• Teaching and Module Evaluations - administration of evaluations, and support for academic staff emerging from feedback obtained
• Peer evaluation - support for academic staff undertaking peer evaluations
• Development of Academic Heads of Department - workshops for newly appointed Heads of Department

Here is the link to CASD:https://www.uj.ac.za/about/impact/africa-impact/continuous-professional-development

Under this link, you can also gain access to the following:

• UJ Teaching and Learning Policy
• Framework for the Professional Development of Academic Staff as Teachers
• Peer Evaluation Framework
• Academic Workload Model