Excellence in teaching and learning is synonymous with DUT.

Roshnee Sunder, a lecturer at DUT’s Radiography Department is testament to this.

Together with four other lecturers in the country, Sunder will receive the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) Teaching Excellence Award at the upcoming HELTASA Conference which will be held at the University of Stellenbosch (US) in November this year.

Ecstatic and honoured, Roshnee said, “I believe that I have found my niche in education technology and I am hopeful that this will create avenues for new development and role extension. I hope to continue to serve as a good role model in my department (Radiography), faculty (Faculty of Health Sciences) and the institution (DUT). I am hopeful about extending the influence of my work further afield, possibly through the use of scholarship on teaching and learning, as proposed by the HELTASA selection committee”.

Sunder has been lecturing for 12 years and she is passionate about providing support for her students. She says the most exciting part about her job is infusing technology and other innovative strategies to make learning effective. Her desire is to empower students to become responsible lifelong learners and responsible citizens. This zeal for teaching is what led to Sunder’s nomination and her ultimate selection for the award. She was nomintaed by fellow DUT Lecturer Penny Orton, who was impressed by her presentations on her teaching practices at the 2011 eLearning Festival.

Sunder is the third lecturer from DUT to win this award, scoring DUT a hat trick. “There is some really fine teaching happening at DUT,” she affirmed, adding that she is “happy” to fly the flag for the institution.

Her achievement is also a huge accomplishment for DUT as, alongside the University of Stellenbosch, the University is the only higher education institution to receive this much recognition.

Established in 2009, the awards are conferred to deserving higher education professionals who have shown consistent dedication and determination in their field while also impacting the lives of their students.

The awards were also established to generate a cadre of academics who are identifiable and able to provide inspiration and leadership in teaching in their disciplines, institutions and regions as well as to generate debate and public awareness about what constitutes teaching excellence in higher education.

To pay homage to these exceptional individuals, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) have thus held these awards each year.

DUT Deputy Vice Chancellor: Academic Professor Nomthandazo Gwele congratulated Sunder on her triumph saying she must “keep up the good work” and adding that she (Sunder) must rest assured that DUT is very proud of her success.
– Naledi Hlefane
Caption: HELTASA Teaching Excellence Awardee Rosh Sunder