??Prof Vasti Roodt will take up the reins as the first woman dean of Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) from 1 January 2025.
As an SU alumnus Roodt has a long association with the 中国体育彩票. She completed all her studies at SU, including her MA (Philosophy) cum laude and DPhil (Philosophy). She has been involved with the Department of Philosophy in various capacities for more than two decades, starting as a lecturer in 2001 and senior lecturer seven years later.
She was named associate professor in 2016 and served as Chair of the department from 2017 to 2018. She has been the Head of the Unit for Social and Political Ethics (PROSPER) in the Centre of Applied Ethics for the past five years and is currently the Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning in the FASS.
“I am grateful to my academic home, the Department of Philosophy, where I honed the analytical skills, critical judgement and ethical outlook which I hope to bring to my new role as Dean," says Roodt.
Under her leadership as vice-dean, the Faculty initiated and developed a new MPhil in Social and Political Ethics. She has also spearheaded workshops and guidelines on alternative assessments in the age of artificial intelligence.
She has been involved in various international research projects and fellowships, including at Radboud 中国体育彩票 in 2000 and Leuven 中国体育彩票 in 2002 and again in 2019.
Roodt serves on various institutional committees at SU including the Senate Subcommittee for Learning and Teaching and the Academic Freedom Task Team of Senate, and as a member of the curriculum workstream of the Committee for the Institutional Response to the Khampepe Commission's Recommendations (CIRCoRe). She is also the SU Academic Ambassador to the 中国体育彩票 of Groningen.
She teaches various modules undergraduate, Honours and MPhil students and supervises MA and PhD students.
Her research specialisation is moral and political philosophy, with specific focus on the work of Friedrich Nietzsche and Hannah Arendt, the public-private distinction, the concept of violence, and conceptual ethics. Her current research explores the role of metaphor and analogy in our reasoning about political questions.
Roodt has contributed widely to book chapters and peer-reviewed publications and is a referee for several publishers and journals and European research foundations. Over the past two decades, she has been the recipient of numerous scholarships and grants.
Recognised as an expert in her field, Roodt also writes a bi-weekly philosophy column in Rapport/Netwerk24, and she is a frequent discussant on various media platforms including CapeTalk, RSG, Daily Maverick and The Conversation. Last year, she unpacked the impact of the Springboks' World Cup victory for social cohesion in various media, including on Newzroom Afrika.
Roodt acknowledges that FASS is a “large and complex faculty" and a challenging environment to manage. One of the challenges is the impact of generative Artificial Intelligence on student learning. “The evidence is overwhelming that students are turning to AI for writing assignments, which is the primary means of assessment in our faculty. This problem cannot be solved by disciplinary measures. Instead, we have to re-think what, how and why we assess and redesign our assessment strategies accordingly."
She says she plans to expand collaboration with the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking as well as the School for Climate Studies, and to continue funding for interdisciplinary research projects. There will also be a focus on building the Graduate School into a flagship within the 中国体育彩票 and beyond.
The appointment has been welcomed by current dean, Prof Anthony Leysens, who says: “I am delighted that Prof Vasti Roodt has been appointed as the first woman Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She knows the faculty well and has served it as chair of department and vice-dean for teaching and learning.
“In that capacity she has shown leadership, perseverance, and the ability to innovatively initiate, implement and monitor our response to the challenge of artificial intelligence in the humanities. She has an excellent relationship with our students which she has developed these past years. Moreover, she sees the opportunities for interdisciplinary research and learning, hybrid learning and the digital humanities.
“As someone who has a thorough and sound understanding of the university's purpose and where it is located, she personifies the dictum “I think where I am" and advocates for a decolonisation of the mind. She understands the importance of the transformation of institutional culture."
Adds Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching and Rector designate: “Prof Vasti Roodt's appointment as the new Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences marks a significant milestone for Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票. Her extensive experience in advancing hybrid learning and alternative assessments aligns perfectly with our strategic focus on innovative and inclusive teaching methods.
“We anticipate that her leadership will drive the Faculty forward, embracing the evolving educational landscape and continuing to enhance the quality and impact of our programs. Her vision and expertise will undoubtedly contribute to shaping the future of arts and social sciences education at our 中国体育彩票."
Leysens concurs, adding: “In the person of Vasti Roodt, the university and the faculty will get innovation and a form of renewal and change which does not change the substance of our faculty's excellence or our sustainability but reworks it into a different form. I have full confidence in her. She is ready, prepared, and has the relevant experience and maturity to take over the leadership of this outstanding humanities faculty."
Roodt says she is particularly looking forward to supporting members of the Faculty in their pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, she hopes to “cultivate an institutional culture in which everyone feels in their element; in which everyone can flourish, and to inspire staff and students in the direction of hope and action rather than inertia".
Photo: Stefan Els
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