Rhodes University recently hosted a two-day celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP). The event brought together scholars, government officials: DHET Director of the university Capacity Development Directorate, Ms. Mandisa Cakwe, and DHET Deputy Director of the university Capacity Development Directorate, Ms. Sonnika Lundt, and university leaders from across the country—including Fort Hare, WSU, and Wits—to reflect on a decade of transformation in academia. Keynotes, panel discussions, and interactive sessions highlighted the programme’s success in advancing equity, mentorship, and academic excellence. The celebration also sparked future-focused conversations on leadership, career growth, and strengthening institutional support for emerging academics.

On the 27th of March 2025, Rhodes University celebrated the International Day of Multilingualism with an engaging and insightful event held at Eden Grove Blue Theatre at 18h00

Alongside its Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education graduates, CHERTL also celebrated three PhD and one Master's graduation. All four bring critical scholarship to ask how higher education enacts its responsibilities to people and the planet.

As the new academic year begins, students embark on their undergraduate and postgraduate studies, while early-career academics consider their next steps in research and professional development. To support them on this journey, Rhodes University hosted a two-day engagement event, led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships, Dr. Kwezi Mzilikazi, alongside Honorary Professor Stephanie Burton and Dr. Mandy Hlengwa. The event provided a blend of strategic insights, practical guidance, and hands-on training to help participants strengthen their academic careers.

As the 2025 academic year commenced, Rhodes University welcomed a new cohort of academic staff through its Academic Orientation Programme (AOP), which was held from 20 to 24 January 2025. The AOP, themed Becoming a Rhodes Academic, introduced new academic staff to multiple aspects of Rhodes University. These included Rhodes University culture, governance, and the services offered by the library, the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS), the Divisions for Community Engagement, People and Culture, Communication and Advancement, ethics committees, staff unions and the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching, and Learning (CHERTL). CHERTL HoD, Prof Jo-Anne Vorster, encouraged new lecturers to utilise the resources and professional development support programmes offered by CHERTL.

Rhodes University partnered with Dutch-based company FeedbackFruits towards the end of 2024, and the pilot, funded by a DHET Infrastructure grant, commenced this year.

In a remarkable celebration of academic excellence and partnership, CHERTL’s Commerce Extended Studies Program (CESP), in collaboration with Investec, hosted a prestigious awards ceremony on September 4th. The event marked two significant milestones: the 15th anniversary of Investec's sponsorship and the CESP students’ first semester achievements. Top-performing students were honored with generous cash awards, recognising their hard work and dedication. The ceremony also paid tribute to the exciting students and mentors who have been integral to the success of the Program over the years. This event was held at Settlers Monument to celebrate students at large.

On July 26th, 2024, Eden Grove Blue at Rhodes University was abuzz with excitement. Distinguished guests, national role-players, academics, and students gathered to celebrate a significant milestone: the launch of the university's new multilingual project and a collection of case studies showcasing diverse multilingual teaching pedagogies across faculties. The event, titled "Teaching Through Diverse Tongues: Multilingualism in Every Classroom," was a collaboration between the NRF SARChI Chair: Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education, housed in the School of Languages and Literatures, the Language Committee and the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL).

ChatGPT has dominated news headlines since the release of ChatGPT 3.5 in November 2022 and has been followed by an explosion of GenAI tools and services. These AI tools and services will likely grow and continue to develop new capabilities in the future. How can the academic community stay up-to-date about the latest developments and be supported to leverage AI for academic purposes?

Ngomhla wamashumi amabini anesine kweyeKhala, isiKolo seeLwimi noNcwadi siye sazisa iProjekthi yeelwimi ezininzi kunye nencwadana yemfundo yemizekelo edlulisela iilwimi ezininzi kwikharityhulam, kusetyenziswa ulwimi njengesibonelelo sokufunda nokufundisa.

ChatGPT has dominated news headlines since the release of ChatGPT 3.5 in November 2022 and has been followed by an explosion of GenAI tools and services. These AI tools and services will likely grow and continue to develop new capabilities in the future. How can the academic community stay up-to-date about the latest developments and be supported to leverage AI for academic purposes?

A four-day writing retreat provided academics with focused time to make significant progress or complete scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) writing projects.

Eleven Rhodes University staff and doctoral candidates presented at the 5th International Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) conference hosted by the Wits LCT Hub at the School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, in January 2024. These included Dr Jennifer Williams (Physics), Prof Jo-Anne Vorster (CHERTL), Prof Sioux McKenna (CPGS), Dr Kirstin Wilmot (CHERTL), Dr Ian Siebörger (Linguistics), Tanusha Dukhan (Pharmacy) and Sisonke Mawonga (CHERTL) as well four affiliated doctoral candidates, Olebogeng Mokgantshang, Retha Knoetze, Janét West and Emaculate Mvundura. The conference hosted 130 delegates from 17 countries and included 64 papers.

In April 2024, the Quality in Postgraduate Research (QPR) conference celebrated its 30th anniversary. Hosted at the National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide, the 2024 conference theme centred around graduate researchers: their identity and their importance.

On 8 January 2024, the Social Justice and Quality in Higher Education (SJQ) doctoral group headed into the Stellenbosch mountains to Mont Fleur conference venue for a writing retreat. Attended by 12 doctoral candidates and four supervisors, the group started 2024 with an intensive four days of writing and revising as they head into their final year of doctoral studies.

The theme for the Higher Education Close Up (HECU) conference, to be hosted at Rhodes University in July 2024 is ‘trust’ and mistrust. The conference is being organized jointly by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS) and the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL).

Rhodes University recently joined partner universities from Kenya and the Netherlands for a Summer School hosted by Maseno University as part of the ongoing EU-funded Creating Postgraduate Collaborations project [https://postgradcollaborations.com]. The Summer School focused on developing grant development and management skills, in line with the goals of supporting international cooperation projects based on multilateral partnerships between organisations.

PhD scholars gather for the first Higher Education Studies Doc Week of 2023

Empowering academic staff: CHERTL launches New Academic Staff Mentorship Programme

The Department of Higher Education and Training has awarded Rhodes University R13 497 000 to run three projects aimed at making a national impact on the higher education sector.

Investec recently hosted a welcome event for first-year students of Rhodes University's Commerce Extended Studies Programme (ESP). Representing Investec were Mr Setlogane Manchidi, the Investec Head of Corporate Social Investment (CSI), and Mrs Thembiso Kodisang, an Investec CSI Practitioner. The Acting Dean of Commerce, Professor Lynette Louw, also attended the welcome event.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a shock to higher education systems everywhere. But while some changes, like moving lectures online, were relatively easy to make, assessment posed a much bigger challenge. Assessment can take many forms, from essays to exams to experiments and more.

Rhodes welcomes new academics

As the 2023 academic year begins, the Rhodes university mentorship program is excited to welcome first-year students and assist them in this beautiful and exciting journey they are about to embark on. Rhodes University prides itself on excellent retention and throughput rates. For Rhodes to sustain its performance in relation to retention, throughout and graduation rates, it aims to keep strengthening its claim as an institution of solidarity and care, one that deliberately builds the resilience and character of its students.

Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (National) Tutor Workshop with Dr Bella

A special graduation season for our Doctors in red

CHERTL colleagues contribute towards the success of HELTASA's first (Un)Conference

In our August 2022 Doc Week, we were fortunate to host international guests stemming from a variety of projects Professor Sioux McKenna has been involved in for the past few years. Guests included Professor Kevin Kinser and Dr LaWanda Ward (Penn State University, USA), Dr Jan McArthur (Lancaster University, UK), Dr Patrick Onyango (Maseno University, Kenya) and Dr Lynn Kisembe (Moi University, Kenya), along with a number of their own doctoral candidates. We also hosted supervisors and scholars from Durban University of Technology and the University of Zululand.

Rhodes University takes mentorship seriously. This year saw the Centre for Higher Education Research Teaching and Learning in collaboration with the Division for Student Affairs strengthening the university mentorship Programme for residence-based students and Oppidan students by launching the RU Mentorship program.

Finally, after two years of virtual graduation ceremonies, CHERTL staff and students were delighted to attend the face-to-face graduation ceremonies in April 2022.

Imagine you are a new academic staff member at Rhodes University. You are excited but nervous about what being an academic staff entails. Well, the Academic Orientation Programme put together by the Centre for Higher Education, Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) is designed to put new academics at ease

In January this year, PhD scholars and supervisors from the Social Justice and Quality in Higher Education project, which forms part of the broader CHERTL Higher Education Studies Doctoral Programme, were lucky enough to spend four days in the Stellenbosch mountains on a doctoral writing retreat.

Friday, 16 August 2019 marked the last of CHERTL’s Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (PGDip (HE)) block contact sessions of the course for this year.

CHERTL, in collaboration with the University’s Language Committee, held a campus-wide Conversation on using language as a resource for teaching and learning on 4 September in Eden Grove Blue. The Conversation was part of CHERTL’s on-going series on various aspects of transformation at Rhodes University.

As part of the Education Faculty’s Doc Week, on Wednesday evening, CHERTL hosted a campus-wide panel discussion on “Troubling Curriculum Change”. Read more...

This week a number of Rhodes academics have been attending two courses offered by CHERTL staff.

The Rhodes Faculty of Education has this week (22 -26 July) hosted its second ‘Doctoral Week’ for 2019 at the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC). Read more...

Following campus-wide concerns over poor lecture attendance in various academic disciplines, CHERTL initiated a ‘conversation’ on Tuesday 6 August using the question ‘Why DO students attend lectures?’

The Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching, and Learning (CHERTL) hosted an online lecture on Wednesday the 15th of September 2021 for academics, students, and staff interested in using language as a resource for teaching in diverse learning contexts, specifically in the context of the student-lecturer partnership.

South Africa has failed to produce a higher education system that meets its fundamental social and developmental needs in the democratic era, according to a new book, Understanding Higher Education: Alternative perspectives by two academics at Rhodes University, Chrissie Boughey and Sioux McKenna.

Last week, Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) and Durban University of Technology partnered to launch the Knowledge for Change (K4C) South Hub amid much excitement.

On Wednesday, 16 September 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation regarding the move from national Alert Level 2 to 1. In his speech, the President emphasised the need for the country to open the economy as a result of a significant decrease in COVID-19 infections and deaths, as well as the preparedness of our health system. However, he warned us not to lower our guard as we embrace the ‘new normal’, but to keep adhering to health and safety protocols and non-pharmaceutical interventions of wearing a face mask, washing our hands regularly with soap and water or a sanitiser and practising safe physical distancing at all times.

On 23 July 2020, during the Higher Education Studies ‘Doc Week’, Professor Sioux McKenna (CPGS) and Dr Kirstin Wilmot (CHERTL), along with co-editor, Professor Christine Winberg (Cape Peninsula University of Technology), launched their new book, Building knowledge in higher education: Enhancing Teaching and Learning with Legitimation Code Theory.

The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) has granted R3.8 million to Rhodes University to support the University’s efforts to transition to online teaching and learning and implement an effective response strategy that adapts its classroom-based methods to effective delivery on digital platforms following the outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Today marks day 79 of the national Covid-19 lockdown, although under eased conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives in ways no one could have imagined a short five months ago. Many of us have adjusted to this as our temporary new ‘normal’ and are ensuring that our daily business processes continue with as little disruption as possible. However, for many people these conditions are hard to comprehend.

Although the concept of remote teaching at Rhodes University is not new, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought this form of teaching and learning into focus.

The New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) is Department of Higher Education’s national initiative forming part of the Staffing South Africa University Framework.

Bella Vilikazi’s PhD is looking at the ways in which feedback on students’ work can open the doors of learning or keep them firmly shut. Her narrative approach to data collection is emerging in a rich collection of stories which offer academics significant insights.

Originally from Chile, Roxana Chiappa joined CHERTL last November 2019, after completing her doctoral degree in higher education at the University of Washington, Seattle (2019). Read more

Dr Peter Clayton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, officially opened Rhodes University’s Open Access Day on 20 November 2019 at the Main Library.

The Higher Education Learning & Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) Conference, hosted by the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) will return to Rhodes University almost a decade after they last hosted the Conference.

The Rhodes University community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Allan William Buchanan Gray. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Gill, daughter Jennifer, and his two sons, William and Trevor.

DAAD funding allowed the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University to develop an offer an online course for postgraduate supervisors across Africa.

CHERTL once again organised a writing retreat for 13 lecturers, all working on writing-related to teaching and learning such as Scholarship of Teaching and Learning publications, teaching portfolios, CATALyst assignments or PhDs.

2018 saw the launch of an innovative tutor development short course by the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) at Rhodes University. A group of 20 tutors from third year to Masters Level from the faculties of Humanities, Science and Law participated...

CHERTL's 2019 tutor development course, Engage, has doubled the number of places on offer for RU tutors. Funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training South Africa, the course currently has 30 registered students spanning the faculties of Humanities, Commerce and Science.

The third International Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) conference, hosted by Wits University in July, was a huge success. The biennial conference boasted 160 delegates from 48 universities from across the world, showcasing 98 papers using LCT as the primary theoretical framework from across the disciplines.

The Teaching with Technology Showcase on 22 October 2018 saw a group of academics come together to present and share new and exciting technological innovations that they have implemented in their teaching.

The New Academics Programme (nGAP) lecturers recently participated (5 April 2018) in the New Academics’ Transitions into Higher Education Regional Colloquium hosted by the Western Cape Universities (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, University of the Western Cape) at UCT.

At the Rhodes graduation ceremony at 9.30 on Thursday 5 April 2018 CHERTL staff were proud to witness thirty-two Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (PGDip (HE)) students and three PhD students crossing the stage.

Professor Karl Maton’s visit was greatly anticipated by the many academics and PhD scholars drawing on Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) for their research.

The launch of the book, Going to University- The Influence of Higher Education on the Lives of Young South Africans, took place at Rhodes University on 5th March 2018.

The Rhodes University community along with various guests gathered recently at the Blue Lecture Theatre in Eden Grove to celebrate Prof Catherine Foxcroft and Dr Jennifer Williams for having received the Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award for 2015.

The first part of the annual Academic Orientation Programme (AOP) for academics new to Rhodes took place last week. The AOP is an important event as it is an opportunity to welcome lecturers new to Rhodes.

The Next Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) simply deals with the need for universities to ensure that a future generation of academics is developed to serve higher education into the future.

The Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) at Rhodes University is hosting the initial phase of the 2018 Academic Orientation programme from Monday, 22 to 26 January & 30 January to 01 February.