Institutional Planning and Quality Promotion

The​ Division of Academic Planning, Quality Promotion and Academic Staff Development

• The Division of Academic Planning, Quality Promotion and Academic Staff Development (DAPQPASD) is responsible for academic planning within the University and for supporting the intellectual, professional and personal development of academics. The Division comprises two centres: the Centre for Academic Planning and Quality Promotion (CAPQP), and the Centre for Academic Staff Development (CASD). Activities of the Division and the Centres are integrated to achieve a strategically informed, targeted approach to meeting the goals of the University. A key priority is to provide academics with the skills needed to develop innovative ways of responding to a rapidly changing higher education environment. This is to ensure curriculum and academic transformation at UJ.
• The Division is aligned with five of the University’s strategic objectives:
• Excellence in research and innovation
• Excellence in teaching and learning
• International profile for global excellence and stature
• National and global reputation management
• Fitness for global excellence and stature.
• The DAPQPASD is headed by a Senior Director, Dr Kirti Menon, and reports into the Deputy vice Chancellor: Academic.
• Key to the work of the Division are a number of projects that relate to staff development. Overall, the Division supports the development of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) at the University and the further recognition and professionalisation of university teaching.
• Vice-Chancellor’s (VC) awards to recognise, support and celebrate outstanding Academics for both Teaching and Learning and Research. Award winners are achieving great success and are innovative in the work that they are doing.
• Curriculum transformation in teaching and learning, decolonisation and the 4IR. Faculties and the College report on and track developments in areas, demonstrating a wide range of initiatives. Decolonisation and 4IR are given expression in the curriculum, pedagogy, research, and other academic and community engagement. Consolidated report are presented across a variety of the University’s governance structures.
• Accelerated Academic Mentorship Programme (AAMP): effects changes to the race and gender profile of the academic staff, with a focus on the professional and personal development of academics, enhancing their capacity to establish both national and international networks, develop their research profiles and leadership capacities. AAMP offers support for three groups of academic staff: staff with a Masters but no Doctoral degree; candidates who have a doctorate degrees and are lecturers / senior lecturers; and candidates who are Associate Professors.
• Professional development workshops ensure the academics’ development as university teachers.
  Improvement of staff qualifications – academic staff are encouraged to improve their qualifications and are provided with a range of support mechanisms to achieve this.
• Research career development of emerging and mid-career researchers is provided to develop a research profile in terms of research outputs (accredited publications and postgraduate supervision and graduation).
• Support for increased research output, applications for NRF rating, and promotion and general enhancements to research profiles.
• Faculty based staff development activities in Teaching and Learning
  UJ staff receive a variety of developmental opportunities to equip them to be better teachers through their Faculties.