One of Johannesburg-based University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) School of Mining Engineering’s primary strategic initiatives, in its endeavour to become a top mining school in the world, is to improve teach- ing and learning effectiveness.
According to the school, one of the ways of ensuring such effectiveness is by introducing a competitive learning environment in which effort is rewarded. To help students excel in their studies, the school has historically partnered with mining companies and related organisations to offer prizes for best performance and attitude to promote the proper functioning of the school.
In this regard, the Wits School of Mining Engineering has historically awarded 12 prizes yearly, which were complemented with three additional, new prizes in 2015. The school says the awards list has room for expansion, and invites mining companies and organisations not yet on the list to consider participating in its awards initiative that enables it to regularly deliver “quality graduates” to the mining industry.
The current list of awards include the AEL Mining Services Prize, the Danie Krige Prize for Mine Evaluation, the Herbert Simon Memorial Prize, the Institute of Mine Surveyors of South Africa Prize, the Mine Managers Prize, the Mine Ventilation Prize, the Professor S Budavari Memoria Prize, the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Prestige Prize (mining), the Sasol Medal of Excellence, the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering Prize, the University of the Witswaterand Mining Engineers Association Prize and two WorleyParsons Prizes for Mining Engineering (applicable to third- and fourth-year students).
Another key criterion to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning is maintaining student and staff ratios at acceptable levels, according to the Wits School of Mining Engineering. In the context of the school, it says, this requires capping the new student intake and ensuring staffing is kept at full complement through timeous replacements in the face of retirements and resignations.
Further, the schools says it “jealously guards” the accreditation of its programme by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), which ensures the education and training it provides remains of a high international standard. ECSA awards accreditation in five-year cycles using the internationally recognised Washington Accord guidelines.
The Wits School of Mining Engineering received full ECSA accreditation in 2012 and is due for a renewal of accreditation visit in 2017, with the school saying preparations are already under way to ensure it meets ECSA’s criteria, including an internal ECSA accreditation workshop held in November 2015.