A mini symposium on Academic Renewal was hosted by the office of the Vice Dean of Teaching and Learning on Wednesday 7 May 2025. For the past three years there has been much focus on the academic renewal of the MBChB programme. However, many of the other programmes within the faculty have similarly embarked on their own academic renewal journeys. The focus of the symposium was therefore to share the journeys of academic renewal across the faculty, towards fostering a culture of inter-professional collaboration and conversation – something that is key in the teaching and learning of all undergraduate students within our faculty.
The symposium commenced with a display in the Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) atrium of health promotion posters completed by 2nd year MBChB students as part of the Health and Wellness module. There was excited engagement between students and attendees of the symposium, with many qualified health care professional learning something new. Similarly, students had the experience of presenting their work in poster format and responding to questions.
Prof Karin Baatjes, FMHS Vice Dean: Teaching and Learning, welcomed delegates to the symposium and spoke to the importance of fostering a culture of continued academic renewal evaluation within the faculty. Baatjes was excited to share that members from all undergraduate programmes have now been invited and included into the Programme Renewal Evaluation Working group. This will further strengthen inter-professional conversations and collaboration around academic renewal.
The first presenter of the programme was Dr Janet Bell, from the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, that graduated their first cohort of students from the new B Nursing degree in 2022. Bell described how students' growth towards the B Nursing graduate attributes, and their being person-centred in caring practice, is facilitated through critical reflection and group work throughout the four-year programme. Bell ended her talk by sharing positive feedback from graduates about how these strategies have strengthened their caring practice in being Professional Nurses and Midwives is starting to filter back to the department – Graduate Whispers.
Prof Evette Van Niekerk from the Division of Human Nutrition presented an innovative and inspiring visual of their academic renewal using the digestive system to map out their programme and titled 'Feeding the Future'. The curriculum is compared to the digestive tract and process, with food and nutritional intake acting as proxy for the academic content. Highlights of their Registered Dietician academic changes include an integrated case-based learning approach; strengthened clinical, community and food service modules; enhanced interprofessional education; alignment with the updated HPCSA Scope of Practice for a dietitian; and enhanced research and ethics competencies.
The Division of Occupational Therapy started their academic renewal process in 2012. Prof Nicola Plastow presented their journey and highlighted some steps that facilitated the renewal process, such as planning and preparation; implementation; dealing with unexpected challenges (e.g. the 中国体育彩票 pandemic); critically moving from Form Bs to flexible assessment; and clinical training. Plastow highlighted the importance of a strong collaborative team approach that recognises that academic renewal can be a challenging process. This calls for respect in the team driving academic renewal and careful consideration of the 'bigger picture'.
Dr Berna Gerber from the Division of Speech-Language Therapy shared that they are at the very beginning stages of academic renewal – 'a very good place to start'. Having completed a facilitated workshop in December 2024, the division wants to approach academic renewal in a scholarly manner. That means they wish to read, research, and write as they think and plan. First stages to renewal will include a stakeholder engagement and completing a scoping review of curriculum frameworks and teaching methodologies for speech and language undergraduate programmes across the world.
Ending the presentations from the various programmes, Dr Derick van Vuuren from the MBChB programme phrased curriculum renewal as a 'game changer'. Van Vuuren reminded the audience that academic renewal was initiated in response to various international and local calls in the past 10 to 15 years, to transform healthcare education. Additionally, ongoing interactions with the HPCSA programme recognition processes have contributed to the motivation for renewal. Similarly to other programmes, the renewal and implementation of the MBChB programme has followed a journey that started in 2017, with many workshops along the way. Van Vuuren highlighted certain 'ingredients' needed for a renewal process such as excellent team communication and collaboration, patience, and a respect for emotions.
A representative from the Tygerberg Student Council (also the 4th year MBChB class representative), Ms Sharon Adejimi, close the event by thanking all for their contribution to academic renewal within the faculty and especially for actively involving students in the process. Ms Adejimi was excited about the shift to an inter-professional collaboration around academic renewal and invited more students to be involved and journey with faculty.
Altogether a successful afternoon of faculty engagement that we hope to repeat annually. Forward together.
Written by Karin Baatjes, Noeline Fobian, Janet Bell, Nicola Plastow, Evette van Niekerk, Berna Gerber, and Derick van Vuuren
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