Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning (post level 5) (contract appointment: five years, with the possibility of reappointment for a further term) at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities

•    Take co-responsibility with the Dean to ensure the achievement of the mission of all faculty-based programmes and initiatives.
•     Lead the Teaching and Learning (T&L) portfolio of the faculty by guiding T&L policies, teaching approaches, digitalisation and innovation in the field to ensure the smooth running of all T&L activities.
•     Provide guidance towards strategic and visionary T&L matters such as course and curriculum development, teaching innovation and hybrid teaching methodologies.
•     Ensure that the General Rules and Regulations of the UFS as well as NAS rules related to the academic programmes are adhered to, updated where needed and communicated to all staff in NAS.
•     Liaise with top management through the Dean, especially the Vice-Rector Academic, CTL, SAS, and DIRAP.
•     Continuously look for new T&L needs from the related market, students and government.
•     Take co-responsibility with the T&L Manager of NAS for leading the T&L committee and all initiatives in that field of T&L.
•     Attend all UFS T&L related meetings, formal and informal.
•     Ensure the application of the quality assurance framework to all T&L matters in the different departments.
•     Spearhead curriculum renewal and innovation in the faculty.
•     Coordinate the initiation of short learning programmes 

Inherent Job Requirements

•     A Doctoral degree on NQF level 10, within any related discipline of the faculty.
•     A minimum of five (5) years’ experience on management level.
•     Proven experience in forming networks and linkages between the UFS and industry.
•     Proven experience in supervision of Master’s and PhD students.
•     Proven evidence of publishing in peer reviewed journals.
•     Must be appointable as an Associate or full Professor at the University of the Free State.
•     Proven experience in the leadership of Teaching and Learning, such as curriculum development, design and renewal, and assessment.

Recommendations

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​    A deep understanding of all UFS policies and rules related to T&L, evident in departmental policies developed and successful implementation.
•     A fair understanding of the HEQSF, SAQA and DHET rules and requirements and the development of new qualifications.
•     Evidence of curriculum development and innovations and staff development within his/her department in relation with new strategies and innovation. 
•     Evidence of the implementation of a composite strategic plan for T&L in his/her department.
•     Knowledgeable about the functioning of the Executive committee of a faculty.
•     Analytical problem-solving skills with impeccable attention to detail.
•     Evidence of inter-faculty and inter-department collaborations.
•     Ability to set an overall strategy and drive process improvement.
•     The ability to build relationships with and between faculty and UFS staff.
•     Identify, train, and develop leaders within the faculty and setting them on a path for management.
•     A deep understanding of national and international trends in current, new and emerging modalities of improving Teaching and Learning in SET and higher education.