Associate Professor

The Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria strives to be an internationally recognised leader in socially relevant legal research and education in South Africa and the world. In pursuing its vision, the Faculty’s mission is to create and sustain a research and education environment grounded in the values of social justice and excellence. We have the necessary structures and systems in place to ensure our graduates receive the guidance and support they need to graduate on time.

The Faculty is currently staffed by over 70 dedicated full-time academics, of whom 74% hold doctoral degrees in various fields of law, enabling them to prepare our student community for law-related career opportunities, and fifteen NRF-rated researchers. The Faculty prepares our students to become bespoke jurists and leaders of their communities, enabling them to promote social justice effectively. It has a vibrant student life and active student bodies which pursue the rule of law through excellence.

The Faculty comprises five (5) academic departments and six (6) academic centres, namely: the Centre for Child Law, the Centre for Human Rights, the Centre for Environmental Justice in Africa, the Centre for Medicine and Law, the Centre for Intellectual Property Law, and the Centre for Sport and Entertainment Law. The Faculty is also home to the ABSA Chair in Banking Law, SARChI Chair in International Constitutional Law and the UNESCO Chair in Education Law in Africa. In addition, the Faculty hosts the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa, the International Development Law Unit, the Extractive Industry Law in Africa Unit, the Unit for Insurance Law in Africa, the Unit for Banking Law in Africa, and the Unit for Business Rescue and Insolvency Law.

The values of the Faculty of Law are fully aligned with those of the University, with the aim of fostering a culture that reflects them. The members of the University of Pretoria Law Faculty believe that the community of scholars must be founded on the pursuit of knowledge through research, teaching and learning, with membership acquired on the basis of intellectual merit, ability and the potential for excellence; and that differing perspectives, arising from diverse backgrounds and histories that define identities, deepen scholarly inquiry and enrich the academic debate.

The Faculty also offers niche programmes in human rights, children’s rights, trade and investment law, intellectual property law, education law, banking law and extractive industries law. The Faculty also hosts a Law Clinic, with two (2) community-based branches in Hatfield and Hammanskraal, and is ranked among the best in South Africa. The Faculty also prides itself on being a distinguished and unequalled national and international track record in moot court competitions over the past decades. The Faculty has also been responsible for the conceptualisation and creation of the national and international moot court competitions, such as the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Competition, Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Competition, South African Schools Competition, and the Child Law Competition.

POSITION AND APPOINTMENT

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR/PROFESSOR AND DEPUTY DEAN: TEACHING AND LEARNING

The University seeks to appoint an Associate Professor/Professor and Deputy Dean: Teaching and Learning, who meets the requirements for the position. The appointment will be in addition to the successful candidate's existing academic appointment and will require at least 50% of their time, as negotiated by the Dean. The Deputy Dean appointment is for a fixed term of four (4) years, and renewal is subject to performance . As part of the Faculty management team, the Deputy Dean will play an essential supportive role, assisting the Dean in developing and managing the Faculty's teaching and learning and community engagement portfolios, as well as fulfilling other functions as delegated by the Executive.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following, amongst other duties:

Performing academic, managerial, and administrative responsibilities in the Office of the Dean.

Providing strategic leadership in the development and implementation of the Faculty’s Teaching and Learning strategy.

Chairing the Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee.

Aligning the Faculty teaching priorities with institutional goals and national higher education frameworks.

Driving innovation and continuous improvement in teaching and learning, including the promotion of technology use in teaching and learning.

Promoting innovative and evidence-based teaching methodologies.

Leading the design, review, and continuous improvement of undergraduate law programmes.

Ensuring the curriculum is relevant, responsive, and aligned with societal, legal, and professional developments.

Leading and supporting inter- and transdisciplinary teaching, as well as curriculum transformation, curricular development and community engagement.

Overseeing quality assurance processes relating to teaching and learning.

Ensuring compliance with accreditation standards and higher education regulatory requirements.

Monitoring academic performance indicators, including pass rates, throughput, and programme effectiveness.

Supporting academic staff development in pedagogy and assessment practices.

Fostering a culture of research-informed teaching and continuous professional development.

Developing and implementing strategies to enhance student success and retention.

Facilitating capacity-building initiatives in teaching and learning and community engagement.

Facilitating liaison between the student body (residences and class representatives), academic staff, Faculty leadership, and external stakeholders.

Engaging with professional bodies and relevant external partners to enhance programme relevance.

Overseeing the monitoring and evaluation of strategic teaching and learning and community engagement initiatives, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate offerings.

Performing any other duties that may be assigned by the Dean or members of the Executive.

Minimum Requirements

A relevant doctorate with specialisation in the broad field of law.

Requisite qualifications and experience to be eligible for appointment as Associate Professor or Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria, the assessment of which is based on several factors, including teaching, research, and postgraduate supervision, community engagement, academic administration, and academic citizenship.

A minimum of three (3) years of academic management/leadership experience in a higher education institution.

Proven, ongoing track record of excellence in leading teams in academic programmes development and implementation.

Proven leadership in developing inter-faculty undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Proven experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and postgraduate supervision.

Proven track record in leading teaching excellence initiatives and capacity-building programmes.

Evidence of a sustained research track record and good publications in accredited, peer-reviewed journals.