by Gerrit Bester
Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, is known for not just talking to her staff, but inviting them into a conversation about the heart and future of the Faculty. During her Let's Talk engagement on 10 March, the first of the year, she unveiled the Faculty's strategic aims, values and dreams, with 'Agency' as the theme for 2025.
Building on Artivism as the underlying focus of the Faculty, Agency, she said, is about recognising what power or control you have, what choices you have and how you own it – having a voice or purpose in what you want to see happen, how you present yourself and your classes while making your space purposeful and exciting.
"Education is about increasing Agency, in terms of academic strategies, academic habits, self-awareness together with a growth mindset, self-advocacy, collaboration and community skills," she added.
Prof Moodley identified several academic strategies of Agency, which included being engaged in Faculty and TUT, curriculum development, industry partnerships, workload norms, staff qualification improvement, digital advancements, etc.
She emphasised that "developing academic habits to promote Agency involves improving organisational skills, understanding established protocols, recognising student perceptions and their relationship to staff contributions, and protecting the reputation of the Faculty."
This year the Faculty has identified several partnerships to recognise its Agency to grow. These include a 100-day challenge with the NGO The World of Impact to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV); the second annual GBV symposium in collaboration with the South African Journal of Art History (SAJAH) and the City of Tshwane in the Women’s Month of August, that includes a special issue of the journal dedicated to the symposium; and a Friends of the Faculty initiative to build industry relationships and increase third stream income.
Prof Moodley also talked about how to promote Agency through creativity and innovation: to create jobs (turning knowledge into wealth), to generate data ('the new gold'), to consider interdisciplinarity in your work, and to respond to technology in terms of its serious implications for humanity and the humanities.
Staff who participated in the discussion stressed that complacency could get in the way of Agency and suggested that the Faculty needs to celebrate its successes more widely, share ideas across specialisations (cross-pollination) and establish mentoring programmes.
It was observed that staff need to be more engaged in the University business and should for example offer comment on policies when requested, as this can impact on their Agency and the Agency of students.
Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, speaking to staff at the Faculty’s Let’s Talk session.
PHOTO: Khethukuthula Mahamba