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This investigation elicited the perceptions of thirteen of the most successful research supervisors from one university, with a view to identifying their approaches to selecting research candidates. The supervisors were identified by the university's research office using the single criterion of having the largest number of completed research degree graduates over a five year period. The supervisors were interviewed individually and it was found that although they had individual approaches to selecting research candidates, there were key strategies that many employed. The supervisors' views of effective selection practices are analyzed, compared and contrasted with the principles described in the literature, and then critically evaluated. (Contains 5 online resources.)

In the context of higher education, the role of mentoring new staff is variously established, though often informal. It is sometimes associated with research supervision, but more recently the increasing sophistication of the roles of staff has seen the introduction of "mentoring" to manage induction. In South Africa, a strong motivation for investigating the role of mentor is to facilitate the induction and retention of equity appointees. This article explores the perceptions of the role of mentor held by a sample of higher education practitioners with a view to identifying the expectations that higher education practitioners have of this role. The analysis reveals broad agreement with the literature, but strong emphasis on the importance of placing the interests of the protege at the heart of the relationship, and recognizing that the responsibility of the mentor is to maintain a critical perspective and not merely to attempt to get the protege to conform to the institution. The authors critically review the perceptions and conclude that the mentoring relationship is affected when the mentor is assigned to the protege. In such situations, expectations need to be clearly articulated if the relationship is to succeed. In addition, recommendations are made about the choice of mentors, the importance of focusing on the realization of the potential of the protege, the focus that is needed in a module to train mentors, the practical difficulties associated with mentoring, and models for mentoring.

Examines the rhetoric of a curriculum development proposal at the University of Port Elizabeth (South Africa) which uses the concept of regionalism as a principal for curriculum development. The regionalist approach is then examined in light of two different approaches to the function of the university. It is concluded that postmodern universities tend away from involvement in the community. (MSE)