Dr Martina Jordaan receives first UP Community Excellence Award

Posted on March 03, 2015

The Vice-Chancellor Prof de la Rey instituted an award for community engagement. For the first year we are proud to announced that Dr Jordaan that coordinate the JCP modules in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology is the winner.

The module actively works towards accommodating the critical cross-field outcomes as stipulated by the South African Qualifications Authority Act, the subsequent regulations of the National Standards Bodies of 1998 and on achieving the outcomes of the strategic plan of the University of Pretoria that emphasise the importance of civic responsibility and citizenship.

All these aspects are reflected in its objectives and learning outcomes. The main learning outcome of the module is to demonstrate that learning outcomes relevant to the project and selected from the list below have been achieved, depending on the nature of the project chosen by the student (most of these outcomes should be addressed):

  • The ability to achieve a deep and broad understanding of the social issues relevant to the project
  • The ability to communicate effectively with the community at large
  • The ability to communicate effectively through writing and presentations
  • The ability to perform leadership functions
  • The ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary environment and to perform critical functions.

The main objectives of the Community-based Project Module are for the service-learning project to have a beneficial impact on the relevant section of society and to expose students in the faculty to real-life issues. In other words, the module combines service objectives and learning objectives. Involving students in community service gives them the opportunity to become more aware of their social responsibility. Students develop an awareness of their responsibilities as critical citizens and how they can employ their newly acquired knowledge to the betterment of the community in which they serve. While students become aware of and cultivate personal, social and cultural values, they learn about and practise multidisciplinary life skills, such as communication, interpersonal and leadership skills. In order to meet these objectives and because it is important that students learn to work effectively in multicultural, multidisciplinary and multilingual contexts the lecturer recommends that they choose a project in a section of society that is different from their own.

- Author Alta van der Merwe

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal

To contact the University during the COVID-19 lockdown, please send an email to [email protected]

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences