Rhodes University is the only research-intensive university located outside a major urban area. Moreover, the University is located in a city experiencing high levels of poverty and unemployment. This unique characteristic has significant implications for the way its mandate as a research intensive institution is being fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled in the future.
This unique characteristic of Rhodes University is played out in the nexus between research, teaching and community engagement. In relation to the research-teaching nexus, students enjoy the opportunity of being taught by research active academics, that is, by academics who publish at the forefront of their disciplines and who, by doing this, contribute to the building of the disciplines themselves. The fact that staff members are research active also offers opportunities for cutting edge research to be incorporated into undergraduate teaching and postgraduate supervision. Furthermore, Rhodes University contributes enormously to research on teaching and learning and its academics draw on research to inform their pedagogical practice.
The Community Engagement-Teaching nexus is evident in the number of courses incorporating service learning in the formal curriculum, and in volunteerism, which increasingly forms part of a student’s learning experience at Rhodes University. All Community Engagement initiatives are informed by theory and an increasing amount of research contributing to the Scholarship of Engagement is being produced.
Thanks to the ability to draw on its identity as a research-intensive institution in relation to its location, Rhodes University offers a unique value proposition to current and prospective students and staff, and to communities at local, national and global levels. These are all underpinned by the principles of sustainability, transformation, local relevance and global impact.
Seven strategic goals have been identified to drive the development imperatives of Rhodes University over the next 5 years. These goals are carefully crafted with impetus from our vision and mission, our unique academic proposition and the principles of sustainability, transformation, local relevance and global impact. The goals are listed in Table 3. Section 5 outlines respective objectives and associated measurable indications of success for each goal.
The goals and objectives contained within this document do not address every area of the university, nor every advantage, challenge or need across the institution. They are chosen as overall institutional goals and measurable objectives through which we will be able to track our progress in a long-term strategic direction, gearing off our existing strengths, and addressing a selected set of critical challenges. They represent a high-level institutional dash board, which carries with it a multitude of important actions, immeasurable values, and focused aspirations, for which more detailed operational plans are necessary.
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RHODES UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC GOALS |
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Goal 1 |
Maintain and strengthen our general formative degree offering and the research-teaching- community engagement nexus which enable our students to access powerful knowledge |
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Goal 2 |
Enable access to Rhodes University by all academically qualifying students and provide them with conditions which enable all students to flourish and which promote their holistic development as critical citizens |
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Goal 3 |
Maintain and strengthen our unique institutional niche as a research-intensive university outside a major urban area |
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Goal 4 |
Ensure financial and environmental sustainability practices at Rhodes University through good governance, leadership and management |
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Goal 5 |
Attract, nurture and retain staff of high calibre and maintain an inclusive, welcoming, affirming and positive institutional environment |
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Goal 6 |
Provide relevant/appropriate academic infrastructure, equipment and facilities to support our academic project |
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Goal 7 |
Promote Rhodes University as an institution for public good in local, provincial, national and international contexts |
Last Modified: Wed, 13 Mar 2019 09:24:13 SAST