Assistant Teaching Fellow (Academic Writing and Study Skills Tutor)

Updated: over 1 year ago
Location: Durham, ENGLAND
Deadline: The position may have been removed or expired!

Assistant Teaching Fellow (Academic Writing and Study Skills Tutor) (
Job Number:
 22001344)
Durham Centre for Academic Development
Grade 6: - £27,929 -£34,308 per annum/ pro rata
Fixed Term - Part Time
Contract Duration: 8 or 12 months
Contracted Hours per Week: 26.25
Closing Date
: 13-Sep-2022, 6:59:00 PM 

Job title:                                 Assistant Teaching Fellow (Academic Writing and Study Skills Tutor)       

Vacancy reference:              22001344

Department:                         Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD)

Responsible to:                     Deputy Director (Student Success) DCAD

Grade:                                     Grade 6

Salary Range:                        £27,929 – £34,308 pro rata

Working arrangements:       This role is available for 12 months at 0.5 FTE OR 8 months at 0.75 FTE to enable potential candidates to follow this contract with a summer role on a Pre-sessional programme, either at Durham or elsewhere                     

Preferred start date:             Successful candidates will ideally be in post by 3rd October 2022

 

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world’s top universities, boasting a welcoming and vibrant international community. Durham is an exceptional place in which to base your career. Our strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences see us listed as a top 5 UK and top 100 global university with our students and our world leading academics sitting at the heart of delivering our ground-breaking work. As part of our ambitious strategy we are growing and we look forward to welcoming your application.

The Department

Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) brings together all academic development activities across the university. We combine lecturer, student and researcher development in a single unit. Our centre staff work across units and departments to share and embed skills in enhancing learning and teaching, curriculum design and assessment, supporting international and non-traditional students.

The Role

Applications are invited for an Assistant Teaching Fellow (Academic Writing and Study Skills Tutor), with a particular emphasis on one-to-one writing and academic skills consultation work. The role involves providing individualised, discipline-specific guidance and support on academic writing for students of all academic levels at Durham. This will primarily comprise taught undergraduates and postgraduates across subject areas but may also include research students. Consultation work may also relate more broadly to study skills advice on areas such as reading, notetaking and effective learning strategies. Teaching may be both online and face-to-face.

A Teaching Fellowship in Durham Centre for Academic Development offers the opportunity of valuable experience working with students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines from across the University.  Working under the direction of a more senior colleague, the post of Assistant Teaching Fellow will involve a teaching-focused load. There may be opportunities for related scholarship and administrative duties which relate to education and pedagogy.

Successful applicants will, ideally be in post by 3rd October 2022.

The University provides a working and teaching environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.

Key responsibilities:

  • Provide one-to-one academic writing/ skills consultations, demonstrating an understanding of departmental expectations and the principles, structure and linguistic tendencies of disciplinary writing;
  • Support the delivery of central academic language and literacy provision;
  • Provide formatively constructive feedback and feedforward on, for instance, student assignment drafts, enabling students to develop strategies for future writing work;
  • Demonstrate the ability to manage own teaching and input into the designing, planning and delivery of consultations;
  • Demonstrate a developed awareness of different approaches to and methods of teaching and learning support appropriate to a diverse student body and inclusive university community, where diversity is embraced and celebrated;
  • Demonstrate the appropriate and pedagogic use of learning technologies for effective and engaging online learning;
  • Deal with students’ pre- and post-consultation queries relating to the work submitted for discussion;
  • Take on board feedback on teaching and engage with others in CPD, for instance via attendance and engagement at online workshops and CPD events delivered in DCAD;
  • Engage in a scholarly community of practice, e.g. through assisting with the development of learning resources relating to the consultation service;
  • Undertake effectively and efficiently any administrative role allocated by your DCAD Head of Section.
  • Contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working online environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
  • Engage in continuing professional development by attending relevant online training and development courses.   

Person Specification

Candidates applying for a grade 6 post must outline their experience, skills and achievements to date which demonstrate that they meet or that they have the potential to achieve the essential criteria. 

Essential Criteria

  • Qualifications:
  • A good first degree; CELTA (or equivalent)
  • A Masters in Education, Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language, Applied Linguistics or similar; DELTA, PGCE English and EFL (or equivalent)
  • Teaching Quality:
  • Experience of teaching and assessment in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) across disciplines at University level with positive student feedback gained.
  • Skills:
  • Good oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums.
  • Desirable Criteria

  • Qualifications:
  • A PhD/ EdD (or be close to submission) in English for Academic Purposes, Discourse Analysis or a related subject, or equivalent demonstrable practitioner experience which may include appropriate certification and/or membership of a relevant professional body.
  • Teaching Quality:
  • Experience of contributing to the development and delivery of high-quality teaching and/or assessment of learning, including the design and creation of successful learning environments and curricula
  • Administration:
  • Demonstrable ability to participate in the collegial/administrative activities of an academic department and/or discipline.
  • HEA:
  • Candidates may have, or should have the ability to attain the rank of Fellow of HEA
  • Contact Information

    Department contact for academic-related enquiries

    For informal enquiries please contact Steve Kirk, Head of Academic Language and Literacies, [email protected] . All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence. 

    Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

    If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to [email protected]

    Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).

    University contact for general queries about the recruitment process

    [email protected]

    How to Apply

    We prefer to receive applications online.   

    As  a University we foster a collegiate community of extraordinary people aligned to the University’s values .  Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive, and in doing so, recruit the world’s best candidates from all backgrounds and identities. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. We therefore ask that as part of your application you provide a statement (of no more than 1 side of A4) which outlines work which you have been involved in which demonstrates your commitment to EDI and our values.

    Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data.  We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/  which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. 

    Information if you have a disability

    The University welcomes applications from disabled people. We are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

    If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on [email protected] .

    What to Submit

    All applicants are asked to submit:

  • a CV and covering letter that details your experience, skills and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out above.
  • a statement setting out your approach to academic writing and skills development for diverse students, including how this relates specifically to one-to-one pedagogy and a synchronous and asynchronous online context (maximum 2 pages).
  • Please save all application documents with your name and document type as PDF files.

    We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

    Referees

    You should provide details of 3 academic referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference (if they are not listed as an academic referee).  Please note:

    • We shall seek academic references during the application process.  Academic referees should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s) and a majority should be from a University other than your own (save for early career applicants applying for their first post).  We would ask that you alert your academic referees to this application as soon as possible, and provide them with a copy of the CV you submit with your application, so that we can quickly obtain references should you be progressed to the interview stage. As part of your application you will be asked whether you give your consent to your academic references being sought should you be invited to attend interview.
    • Academic references sought for short-listed candidates may be made available to the panel during the interview process.
    • We will seek a reference from your current line manager if we make you an offer of employment (albeit you may have also nominated your line manager as an academic referee).  Please clearly indicate which referee is your current line-manager and please let us know if we should only approach them once an offer has been made.

    Next Steps

    All applications will be considered; our usual practice is for colleagues across the Department to read the submitted work of long-listed candidates. 

    Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.  The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to staff and students in the Department followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days.

    In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.

    About Durham University

    As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career while enjoying a high-quality work/life balance. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

    The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral.  A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

    Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare provision and the University’s Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.

    If you’d like to find out more about the University or relocating you and your family to Durham, please visit https://www.dur.ac.uk/jobs/recruitment/


    DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.

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