Agriscience academic awarded the TAU Fellowship
Dr Marianne McKay
The TAU (Teaching Advancement at Universities) Fellowships Programme was initiated in 2015 as a collaborative project between HELTASA (Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa) and with the support of the CHE (Council for Higher Education). It is funded by the DHET (Department of Higher Education and Training). The aims of the TAU Programme are to contribute towards the enhancement of teaching and learning in HE in South Africa by supporting the development of a cadre of academics across institutions and disciplines as scholars, leaders and mentors in their fields. The TAU also aims to enhance the status and stature of teaching and further popularise the concept of teaching excellence, and contribute towards the definition of what teaching excellence means in varied institutional settings. The Fellowships are awarded in two-year cycles. A national committee selects the candidates.
Dr Marianne McKay from the Department of Viticulture & Oenology has been recognised as a TAU Fellow for the 2021-2023 cycle. She joins Prof Ashraf Kagee ( Department of Psychology) and Prof Faadiel Essop (Department of Physiological Sciences).
Dr McKay has been previously acknowledged for her contributions to T&L in Agrisciences by being recognised as a Distinguished Teacher (2017), and awarded a Stellenbosch University Teaching Fellowship (2016-20). She also received the CHE/HELTASA Award for Teaching Excellence (2015) for her efforts in decoloniality in teaching, and conducting T&L research. She has a long record in teaching students in partner colleges in wine science, forming sustainable and successful training collaborations in local communities with measurable Social Impact. Dr McKay has an integrated approach to research across subject areas and disciplines which is gaining recognition across SU, and connects well with the goals of the newly formed South African Wine Research Institute based in our Faculty. She has recently been nominated as the Faculty candidate for the Scholarship of Educational Leadership programme (2021).
Her TAU fellowship objectives tie in with a number of goals in SU’s Transformation Plan (Vision 2040), as well as important programme renewal initiatives around increasing diversity, accessibility and a transformative student experience. As evidence for transformation is becoming increasingly important in staff performance evaluation, this Fellowship will enhance Dr McKay’s ability to provide support for colleagues in Agrisciences interested in furthering their passion for T&L, and ‘thinking differently’ about their specialist subject. She hopes to inspire those wanting to implement change, and enhance transformative and innovative student learning experiences in her own modules.
