Transformation at Wits

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Diversifying the Academy (DTA)

Carnegie Diversifying the Academy (CDTA)

Funder: Carnegie Corporation of New York
Partners: Wits CLTD & Research Office

The Carnegie Diversifying the Academy (CDTA) programme encompasses more than just racial redress within the institution and providing financial support. It nurtures academic leaders committed to transformation. Through training, workshops, and coaching, we activate scholars’ resilience, agency, and strong sense of belonging.

Our recipients confidently navigate academia, foster inclusivity, and engage in alternative dispute resolution. Rooted in their heritage and community, they become ambassadors for change.

Support programmes include:

Group Trainings and Workshops

CDTA’s group sessions are carefully designed to build professional and academic competencies while fostering a sense of community among grantees. Workshops incorporate:

  • Diverse Topics: Workshops cover practical academic skills, such as science communication, leadership through storytelling, and public speaking.
  • Collaborative Learning: Group sessions bring together new and returning grantees to exchange ideas, share progress, and explore transformation goals collectively.
  • Professional Output: For example, in collaboration with Jive Media Africa, grantees were trained to create public-friendly summaries of their research, enhancing their public engagement and academic visibility.
  • Induction and Community Building: New grantees participate in induction events that cover not only logistics but also CDTA’s core philosophy—facilitatingthe growth ofself-aware academic leaders.
  • Peer Mentoring: Events often include small group mentoring sessions that promote personal reflection and peer support.
One-on-One Coaching

This is a cornerstone of personal development under the CDTA program, provided through an integral coaching model.

Key features of the coaching are:

  • Tailored Support: Coaching is personalized, often running over 6 to 12 sessions, with goals aligned to the grantee’s personal and academic journey.
  • Common topics:
    • Work-life balance
    • Navigating imposter syndrome
    • Handling complex professional relationships
    • Aligning actions with deeper purpose and meaning

The coaching is facilitated by Prof. Antonia Wadley, an ICF-accredited Integral Coach, and over a third of CDTA grantees have participated.

Leadership and Capacity Development

This forms the heart of CDTA’s ambition to cultivate transformation ambassadors within academia. Some key features are:

  • Target Group: Early to mid-career academics, particularly those at risk of leaving academia (addressing the "leaky pipeline").
  • Curriculum:
    • Self-reflection and academic identity
    • Curriculum and research leadership
    • Coaching skills for academic leaders
    • Interdisciplinary projects solving real academic challenges
  • The program nurtures scholars to become:
    • Resilient and self-aware
    • Grounded in heritage and community
    • Equipped with intercultural communication and conflict resolution skills
  • Emphasis is on belonging, agency, and the ability to navigate academia with confidence.
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