The performance of a university depends on departmental activities in a network framework. The university is efficient only if these departments are efficient in their operations. The connection between departments is fundamentally complicated and should be scrutinised to offer more suitable ways for more enhancement. However, to our knowledge, no…

A majority of service learning (SL) studies focus on the student benefits and challenges, whereas few consider the organization (community partner) viewpoint. This study examines the value that small businesses place on a marketing-oriented SL project run by the academic Marketing Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South…

This conceptual paper draws on the understanding and application of institutional performance management system (IPMS) by managers in a higher education institution's department. Managers in HEIs [higher education institutions] are tasked to develop and support staff at all job levels and are accountable for their performance. The implementation…

The present article is dedicated to the hyper-hierarchization of small-scale organizational spaces (and the most immediate ones for most academics)--university departments. By using the anarchist critique of hierarchies to deconstruct the architecture of an undisclosed department located at one of the South African universities, the author…

In the study reported on here we investigated the use of post-method practice to optimise pre-service teachers' teaching practice and English First Additional Language (EFAL) proficiency. This study was premised on the theoretical framework of Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy which promotes diverse perspectives in language learning and teaching…

Studies have shown how social media, including Facebook and Twitter, are reshaping communication, news, and information. It is therefore important to explore the role social media plays in student protests and campaigns in order to determine to what extent social media allows participation and audience inclusion during #FeesMustFall and other…

Issues arising from relationships between academic departments in universities and external stakeholders are numerous and complex. The matter is illustrated in this paper by focusing on a dispute in the theology department at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, which came to a head from 2004 to 2007. The dispute itself is detailed and…

In psychology departments in South Africa, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) is routinely used for quantitative analysis. While SPSS has a user-friendly interface, it does not permit application of some of the more sophisticated analytic approaches and therefore has limited functionality. The programming language R can perform…

Student engagement has been defined as the extent to which students are engaged in activities that higher education research has shown to be linked with high-quality learning outcomes. The ubiquitous influence of the term "student engagement" has been felt throughout the higher education landscape. This is especially true for South…

Perfectionism is a complex multidimensional state with positive and negative outcomes. Research has identified that parents could influence perfectionistic inclinations, which may lead to increased levels of anxiety and ultimately lead to maladaptive tendencies. The aim of the study is to explore the role of parents in the experience of…

In the political, social, cultural and economic context of South Africa, higher education spaces provide fertile ground for social research. This case study explored "othered" identities in the Department of Visual Arts of Stellenbosch University. Interviews with students and lecturers revealed interesting and controversial aspects in…

The social transformation required in a democratic South Africa can only be achieved through the transformation of perceptions and attitudes. This article argues that community interaction can play an important role not only in raising the level of societal awareness of students, but also in the development of a symbiotic relationship between an…

This paper discusses the pedagogical responses of the Wits University Cultural Policy and Management Department to the needs of our students in the postcolonial context of South Africa. It reviews the challenges experienced by our postgraduate students and the resultant innovations in both curriculum design and learning and teaching practice.…

The paper adds to extant professional education literature by reflecting on apparent differences in pedagogy of similar professional programmes of study, allowing deeper insight into the unique strand of higher education influenced by the professions. A comparative international case study approach is adopted of an interpretive qualitative nature…

Research on women in leadership has received growing attention in recent years. But not enough studies have investigated the way women construct leadership and management of the academic department. This article reports on the findings of an inquiry into the experiences of women heads of academic departments (HoDs) at universities in South Africa…