Faculty of Economic Management Sciences
Faculty of Economic Management Sciences
P r o f e s s o r J u d i t h t e r b l a n c h e t o P ac h i e v e r
D r Fa z ly n P e t e r s e n r i s i n g s ta r
Communing with nature is non-negotiable for healthy work-life balance hasn’t always got it right this year. Professor Judith Terblanche has a PhD in the Philosophy of education, and is an Associate Pro“I do not think I have a healthy work-life balance at all. However, I kept to one rule, which was a fessor in the Department of Accounting, non-negotiable and a necessity for survivwhere she teaches the sAICA-accredital: that I spend one to two hours daily ed programmes. she is also a highly outside in nature with my dog, prefrespected Auditing lecturer, the erably hiking. The combination programme co-ordinator for the of nature, exercise and animal PGDA programme, and serves energy and curiosity serves as on the education and Transfora tonic to nourish and refresh mation Committee of IrBA. the mind, soul and body. Her areas of research are Lately, I decided to not accitizenship education, cess emails over the weekteaching for social justice, ends anymore – and that is ethical decision-making definitively also making a and responsible leadersignificant improvement in ship, with a specific focus freeing my mind for reflecon the Chartered Accounttive thought. I should have ant academic. done this ages ago.” “The effects of the pandemic one of the things Prof Teron a household depend enblanche is enjoying most is tirely on the complexity and a research project in the denegotiated roles within a parpartment that includes four colticular household.” leagues with little research expoWhat was her particular challenge? sure. The aim will be to determine “I really, really, really like to read and whether using other learning material, reflect on matters pertaining to my reborrowing from the fields of humanities and search interests. the arts, could assist in cultivating the required “All of the preparation for remote online teachsocial awareness in students who will in future be leading took significantly longer than traditional face-to-face ers in business – thus combining teaching. In combination with the “I kept to one rule, which was a technical skills with the teaching onslaught of virtual meetings of values. that were arranged and the dinon-negotiable and a necessity for survival: Ultimately, she knows that it is vide between the personal and that I spend one to two hours daily outside extremely challenging to find a the work environment that was in nature with my dog, preferably hiking.” balance between work responblurred out, there was just not sibilities, self-care, research proenough time in a day.” she has learned that one needs to make a choice between jects, care and responsibilities towards others, and personal adpersonal well-being and research interests, and admits that she ministrative and household tasks.
Using technology effectively to build a better work and life balance As a senior lecturer at UWC, Dr Fazlyn Petersen knows that she was able to come up with many successful ways of crewomen at university are expected to play many ating more time and managing the increased workroles at the same time – multi-tasking as acaload. demics, researchers, mentors, wives and “In order to create more structured workmothers. ing hours and time, I tried schedul“As mothers and academics, it ing hours to check emails and seemed only natural that we deal with student queries. I crewould take over the role of ated lessons on our electronic teacher to our children during learning management system the lockdown.” Of course, this with expectations and sent was in addition to the stuout reminders for students dents she was in charge of at the start of every week. I professionally, as well. On made work available to stutop of these challenges dents before the expected was added a loss of childdate, so that they had more care and domestic services time to prepare. lessons during the pandemic. contained videos to explain “simply put, caring about work and this assisted a litour students’ success meant tle with the number of quespending many more hours ries. I also learnt to delegate working than ever before. I certain administrative tasks to teach a large class of more than colleagues and our teaching as300 students. Many students exsistant.” pected their lecturers to be availHer long-term professional goal able after hours to assist them with is to become an Associate Profeswork. I felt like my workload had tripled sor, and she is currently working on in 2020. Changing to online learning also creating more inclusive online enviblurred the boundaries between work and ofronments in education and health by usfice time.” ing data-free options. “Many people are currently Her areas of academic speciality include risk, quality, project and excluded, due to the digital divide and significant inequaliknowledge management; as well as ties in south Africa,” she explains. “I felt like my workload had tripled business analysis and testing. she is “I’m hoping that my work will a certified project manager and tester, change this by moving from the in 2020. Changing to online learning and has invaluable experience in sevexclusionary fourth industrial also blurred the boundaries eral industries such as financial serrevolution (4IR) towards the fifth between work and office time.” vices, retail and auditing. industrial revolution (5IR) that will With all of that on her plate, time manfocus on user needs, innovation agement became crucial to navigating the pandemic. purpose and inclusivity.”
