INVESTING IN YOUNG ACADEMIC STAFF AT AN HEI: A PARTICIPANT’S EXPERIENCES OF THE UNISA RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/1727-7140/1639Keywords:
higher education institutions, open distance learning, staff retention, staff development, young academicsAbstract
This article is based on the views and experiences of one participant who was part of the Young Academics Programme (YAP) for staff members at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in 2011. In the article, the author presents the scope of the programme, including its contents; her experiences of the programme; as well as the contributions of the programme to personal and career development. While previous research on YAP is acknowledged, the thrust of the article is on one participant’s experiences and how the programme contributed specifically to the particular participant’s development, especially in research. The article, therefore, highlights and validates some of the previous findings on YAP, while presenting new insights based on the 2011 YAP group. At the end of the article, recommendations are presented with reference to the programme, Unisa as an institution as well as other higher education institutions (HEIs).
References
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