Academic Departments will be requested to:

• Maintain existing and/or develop new strategies to improve academic literacy;
• Be sensitive to possible linguistic needs  when allocating first-years to tutorials and aim for bilingual tutor support wherever  possible and appropriate;
• Consider training tutors to facilitate use of multiple languages in tutorials and other peer learning sessions;
• Make multiple copies of appropriate dictionaries accessible in the library;
• Where appropriate, provide access to a wider range of dictionaries in examinations;
• Ensure that the use of teaching aids is sensitive to multilingualism;
• Encourage constructive debate amongst staff and students about bilingualism, multilingualism and the role of language in learning.

CHERTL will be requested:

• To sensitise staff and students about the need to counteract possible sexism or racism in the language employed in materials for teaching, assessment, research, and in academic and everyday usage;
• Continue to support the use of the Trojan Academic Initiative (TAI) mentoring programme and other such programmes in order to promote opportunities for inter-lingual contact, where appropriate;
• Devise strategies (including, for example, the use of alternative means of testing such as the National Benchmark Tests) to attract students from all linguistic groups with sufficient academic potential to succeed, and to place them in appropriate academic programmes within the institution;
• Raise awareness in formal courses such as the PGDip (HE) and the Assessors’ Course of teaching strategies which support students who speak different languages and;
• Establish appropriate programmes to ensure that new lecturers receive exposure to methods and techniques for teaching students who speak different languages and that existing staff are also provided such exposure.

The Infrastructure, Operations and Finance Division/RULC/Naming Committee will be requested to:

• Where possible, facilitate and co-ordinate the progressive replacement of existing signage on campus with appropriate multilingual signage.

The Registrar’s Division/Communications & Marketing Division will be requested to:

• Where possible, ensure that official University branding and correspondence with prospective and current students, staff and the public is available on request in at least two of the major provincial languages.

The Communications & Marketing Division/Student Representative Council will be requested to:

• Where necessary and feasible use interpreters and translators to make verbal and written presentations regarding certain polices or issues in the University;
• Explore the use of isiXhosa and Afrikaans on the Rhodes website;
• Explore the potential of using Rhodos, Rhodes Music Radio, Activate and other student media to communicate in languages other than English.

The Human Resources Division will:

• Where appropriate, pursue staff employment policies and strategies which ensure that successful applicants are ideally multilingual and have the required linguistic abilities, especially in areas such as, for example, counselling and support;
• Where necessary, notify selection committees of the need for interpreters;
• Where necessary engage with Unions concerning the translation of selected policies.

Last Modified: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 10:22:11 SAST