SAULT Forum Planning Meeting (16 - 17 February 2017)

Delegates from eight southern African countries that constitute the SAULT Forum converged for a two-day planning meeting at the University of Botswana (UB) from 16 to 17 February 2017.  They came from twelve southern African universities that affiliate  to the forum.  These institutions are located in eight countries southern African countries, namely, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe with each of the last two represented by two universities.

The first day of the meeting began on high note for several significant reasons.  For one thing, the venue for the opening and subsequent morning sessions was a superb "laboratory" of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality within the Faculty of Business at UB.  This high-tech facility truly communicates the focal concern of SAULT forum: to provide space to reflect on their practices towards enhancing teaching and learning in the member universities.  Such high infrastructural investment by the host university visibly attests to the depth of its commitment to academic excellence.  That much was underscored by Professor A.P.N. Thapisa - the Director of the Centre for Academic Development (CAD) in his presentation about the strategy of the centre which was the immediate host of the meeting.  In their respective presentations about the five units within the CAD, Thapisa's team of deputy directors demonstrated that they were conversant with the strategy by which the centre seeks to play it role of enabling UB to fulfill its mission and vision.

Lead researcher, Professor Brenda Leibowitz's overview of the SAULT by addressing the questions of the purpose of the forum, who it is for, how member institutions can individually further its aims and its financial sustainability.  She pointed out the the forum is there to provide support for academic development, including professional growth of academics.  In that respect, SAULT is for those members who want to enhance quality teaching and learning.  Regarding students' issues, the forum is concerned about tapping into the richness they bring, the transition issues they face and how to channel these into the teaching and learning situation.  It is up to each member institution to set up the logistics of how it can address this prime agenda.  The forum is there to provide space for members to share.

At another level, the official opening remarks of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs (DVC ASA), Professor M.M. Mokgwathi were boon to the first day of the meeting as he honed in on SAULT's integral concern with quality assurance in university teaching and learning. He further expressed keen interest in the concept of "rurality" which is at the centre of the cross-national study that has been undertaken by SAULT by pointing out that he looks forwards to the understandings that the investigation will uncover.

Three afternoon sessions rounded off day one of the meeting.  The first session led by Dr David Baume from the UK took delegates through a reflective group exercise on curriculum development, pedagogy and learning.  The key emphasis was on moving away from teaching as knowledge transmission to concern with crafting teaching and learning activities that lend themselves to assessment hence delegates were asked to come up with hypothetical curricula together with assessment strategies.  Both the group and plenary reports were highly insightful.  The next session was led by Dr F. Januario from Mozambique.  He took the delegates through a brainstorming session on Theoretical Orientation for Classroom-based Assessment.  Through discussions of learning theories, the session proved to have enhanced them with insights form the teaching experiences of delegates.

The day rounded off with a session for adoption of the agenda for day two.  By then, there was a clear evidence that the day ended at the same high note it had begun.  Readers of this blog can expect more inputs from delegates and SAULT invites comments and ideas for future growth of the network.