Introductory Supervision Short Course

The Course opens by examining the global higher education context. Understanding this broader global phenomenon is important because:

• Developments in the broader context of higher education have an impact on the policy choices of national government;
• These policy choices affect the decisions universities make as they develop their own goals and strategic plans;
• Eventually macro-level developments directly affect supervisors and their students;
• Contextual understanding of how higher education works is essential in shaping and influencing the work of supervisors;
• Awareness of the greater context assists supervisors in making informed choices about how they will respond to requests for supervision, as well as their practice as a supervisor.

The Course is divided into three sections or phases:

• ‘Taking off’ covers the aspects participants need to consider when they receive any request for supervision, and the need to begin any supervisory journey by establishing firm relationships with other supervisors and students;
• ‘En route’ focuses on participants’ practice as a supervisor, on the ways they can respond to their students and guide their development as researchers;
• ‘Landing’ refers to the end of the supervisory journey and considers practical issues such as nominating examiners and supporting students so that the examination process itself contributes to their learning.

By the end of the Supervisor Training Short Course, participants should be able to: 

• Demonstrate an awareness of their responsibilities and their own needs as a supervisor;
• Identify a range of practices to guide the development of graduate attributes;
• Contribute to students’ experiences of the examination process as a form of learning.

• Synchronous learning: A number of videos (narrated PowerPoint presentations) and short interviews with established supervisors at Stellenbosch University about their experiences of supervision. Online teaching materials are supported by two online sessions per week using MS Teams.
• Asynchronous learning: All sessions are recorded, with links to the recordings. These links are available so that participants may revisit specific aspects for self-study.

In order to facilitate the learning process, participants have to engage in the online forums, share their ideas with fellow participants, and respond to each other’s ideas and comments in constructive online discussion forums.

The Course consists of a compulsory in-person opening session (4 hours, followed by lunch), 8 online sessions, and asynchronous self-study periods.

The in-person opening session will take place on  16 October 2026 from 09:00 to 14:00 at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study or STIAS (Stellenbosch Campus). Lunch will be provided.

During the course, on a Monday and Friday, the synchronous (live) 1-hour sessions via MS Teams will be scheduled. (8 hours of live MS Teams discussion sessions in total). An MS Outlook calendar invite will be shared for each session.  The purpose of these sessions is to engage with the course materials through discussing questions and scenarios with the facilitators and fellow participants.

During the week participants should engage with the course materials (such as recordings, videos, and readings) on SUNLearn as preparation to participate in the SUNLearn discussion forum. Every section must be completed.

Participants’ learning will be assessed through the submission of a reflective essay. The assessment task is designed as a space where participants can reflect on the ideas introduced in the Course and gain insight into how they can apply these ideas to their practice as a supervisor. 

A demonstration of participants’ ability to meet the outcomes is provided in the form of evidence so that they can:

• Make informed decisions about whether or not to take on a student;
• Participate in discussions with other supervisors and students about the form the supervision will take;
• Contribute to the development and ongoing review of a memorandum of agreement that guides the supervision and develops good relationships;
• Contribute to students' graduate attributes development as identified in the Qualification Standard for the Doctoral Degree;
• Contribute to students' development as academic writers;
• Contribute meaningfully to the process of nominating examiners;
• Provide support to guide students through the examination process so that it contributes to their ongoing learning.

The final assessment takes the form of a reflective assignment of about 2 800 to 3 000 words and needs to be submitted after the closing online session on 16 November 2026.

Participants may choose to reflect on how their views or assumptions about a particular topic have shifted from before the course to after having engaged with it; or they may consider the ideas and practices discussed in light of either (i) their own experience as a student, or (ii) their current or future role as a supervisor.

Please complete this form to indicate your interest in registering for this Course. As places are limited, registration is subject to availability. The Course Coordinator will contact you to confirm your registration if a spot becomes available.

Aligned to NQF level 8, six credits, and 60 notional hours
- 5 hour in person contact session
- 8 x 1 hour online contact sessions
- Self-study via engaging with course material (watching videos, engaging with case studies & documents)
- Participation in online discussion forum
- Reflective essay 

The Supervisor Training Short Course is currently facilitated by supervision experts:

• Prof Chrissie Boughey, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Rhodes University and currently an Emeritus Professor at Stellenbosch University; and
• Dr Nompilo Tshuma, a senior lecturer specialising in supervision research and related areas in the Department of Curriculum Studies and the Centre for Higher and Adult Education in the Faculty of Education at SU.