JSE-listed higher education provider STADIO has announced the appointment of Dr Judith Geldenhuys as the new Head of its School of Law, as well as changes to its LLB qualification, offering a four-year undergraduate degree from 2025, which replaces the two-year post-graduate LLB currently on offer.
New leadership
Dr Geldenhuys was appointed as the Head of the School of Law on 1 June 2024, bringing 20 years of experience in academia. She was formerly an Associate Professor in the Department of Mercantile Law at UNISA.
She holds LLB and LLM degrees from the University of Pretoria and has been involved in lecturing and academic research since 2004.
In 2007, Dr Geldenhuys started working in the Mercantile Law Department at UNISA on a fixed-term contract and was permanently appointed as a senior lecturer in 2010. She completed her doctoral thesis entitled ‘An Evaluation of the Rights of Fixed-Term Employees in South Africa’ at UNISA in 2013 and was promoted to Associate Professor, in 2018.
Dr Geldenhuys has lectured across various fields of law, including Business Law, Commercial Law, Law of Negotiable Instruments, Labour Law, Social Security Law, Entrepreneurial Law, Company Law and Forms of Business Enterprises. She is also widely published and has presented at numerous national and international conferences.
Updated LLB offering
STADIO’s vision is to empower South Africa by widening access to higher education. The four-year undergraduate LLB programme will replace the two-year postgraduate LLB that is currently offered. According to Dr Geldenhuys, the new qualification will equip students for employment in legal practice and a wide range of other careers that require understanding and application of the law. “By doing so, the programme addresses the employment needs of the larger student population,” she says. “Additionally, by being responsive to the needs of the economy, the legal profession and broader society, students will be equipped to discharge their social and professional duties ethically and efficaciously.”
Setting STADIO’s qualification apart from other institutions is the choice available to students to study either through distance learning or through a blended contact learning offering.
“The blended contact learning model has tremendous benefits in that lectures are recorded, which means you always have access to content presented in class,” says Dr Geldenhuys. “The blended contact learning model combines classroom and online learning and teaching in a manner that includes some flexibility, while optimising the time students spend on campus.”
Dr Geldenhuys adds that the new four-year LLB also offers unique electives, including Law Related to Business Distress and Legal Strategy, which are not offered at other higher education institutions. “This is an advantage for our graduates to stand out when applying for work, and in the knowledge and skills that they acquire to make a meaningful difference in the world of work,” she says.
STADIO’s School of Law is also in partnership with the Gauteng Associate of Advocates, which is actively involved in ensuring that the programme offerings meet industry requirements.
“At STADIO we are committed to equipping students to become sound jurists,” says Dr Geldenhuys. “This qualification is designed to equip students for the demands of the legal and academic environments in democratic South Africa, as well as taking responsibility in relevant societal contexts.”
For more info, visit www.stadio.ac.za | LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram: @StadioHigherEducation