Work of CHED units recognised at 2016 MACE awards
UCT Careers Service (CS) and the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) made CHED proud at the 2016 MACE awards ceremony.
Both units picked up two Merit Awards each at the 2016 National Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education (MACE) awards ceremony on 24 November in Cape Town.
These are specialised “sister” units under the Centre for Higher Education Development Department (CHED), whose aim is to create globally prepared students and provide wraparound support for the student tertiary journey. Some examples of focus work are innovation in curriculum development, teaching support, job readiness opportunities and turnaround career advisory functions.
The Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education (MACE) Awards has evolved from a number of former organisations over 25 years and is firmly established as one of the most prestigious awards in South Africa for education communication.
The award recipients from Universities from across South Africa, produced work for the students and staff that was characterised by their innovation and being in tune with the changing needs of the higher education experience.
UCT as a whole received 18 of the total 47 Merit Awards, 14 garnered by the Communication and Marketing office for the University for photographic, event and content pieces and 4 from CHED departments.
The work:
UCT Careers : mycareer.uct.ac.za
In the Electronic media category, UCT Careers Service won a merit award for MyCareer.uct.ac.za. This is the wraparound relationship management portal that takes the students into their own customised space for managing their interactions and services provided by UCT Careers. In 2016, over 3 000 vacancies, scholarships and bursaries were advertised on this platform.
UCT Careers Service: Career Guide 2015
Aimed at UCT students at all levels of study, the Guide serves as a great starting point for those who want to get a head-start on their career development, as well as those who are graduating and have no idea where to begin looking.
David Casey, Director of Careers Service, said that he was delighted that staff’s solid work is recognised and it provides a marker to continually improve and evolve their work in a changing and complex context. Remaining relevant and fit for purpose is key to address issues of empowerment, excellence and transformation. Awards and sharing of approaches provides an opportunity to learn from other institutions for common goals.
Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) won for Videography Skills for Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion and Becoming a changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation are MOOCs.
Both MOOCs have a more community-driven, social aspect therefore the video promoting these MOOCs was required to inspire the positive impact on society MOOCs can have through widening access to UCT’s knowledge resources.
The video and MOOC team at the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching worked tirelessly with academics from various departments at the university and organisations in creating the videos including the faculty of Health Sciences, the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship and RLabs, a local NGO. Such recognition from MACE is well-deserved and we cannot be more proud of their achievement, said CILT leadership.
Suellen Shay, Dean of CHED, was also thrilled by the national acknowledgment, commenting that the important work that is done across CHED is being seen externally. This supports getting the word out to stakeholders – especially students, about CHED’s responsive and student-centred approach.
CHED’s focus areas are to address the real world challenges raised by the higher education sector stakeholders on language, teaching, curriculum, throughput support, access and inclusivity, work opportunities (internships, graduate and earn-as-you-learn opportunities) to mention just a few of the many resources developed through CHED’s units, which also include the Academic Development Programme (ADP), the Centre for Educational Testing for Access and Placement (CETAP), Extra Mural Studies (EMS) and Dean’s Office Projects.