Teaching Fellow (Grade 7/8)

Job Title:  (Senior) Teaching Fellow 

Department:  DCAD 

Grade: Grade 7/8 

Salary range:      £36,333 - £52,841 for 1 FTE pro-rata   

Working arrangements: 0.5 FTE - 17.5 hours/week – hybrid working 

Closing date:       4th July 2023 

The University 

At Durham University we are proud of our people.  A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.   
Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.  We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here   

The Role and Department 
 

Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD)  

Inspiring excellence in learning and teaching. Using technology imaginatively and with relevance. Nurturing inclusive learning communities. Inspiring life-long learners. The Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) fosters education by design.  DCAD is…  

…a resource open to all students   

Offering a wide range high quality educational programmes and opportunities to enhance learning, to ensure that all students, no matter what their need, have the opportunity to realise their full potential.   

…an educational partner for life  

Engaging learners at all points – pre-sessional, undergraduate, postgraduate and throughout their professional development – within a life-long community. Because knowing how to learn, is knowing how to teach.   

…an opportunity to develop pedagogic skills and new practice  

Delivering professional development programmes for careers at all stages:  from training for teaching practitioners in their early years, to supporting experienced practitioners to hone their craft.  Pushing the boundaries of pedagogic practice and building bridges between scholarly research and teaching practice.  

…a forum to share best practice  

Providing regular scholarship events, conferences and networking opportunities. Designing platforms for educators, both new and experienced, to share and learn from each other.  

The Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) seeks to appoint a talented individual to the role of (Senior) Teaching Fellow in the area of Academic Development. This role, available as 0.5 FTE for a period of 6 months will lead on: 

·         The support of Education track staff institutionally to engage in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning  

·         The development and delivery of a course of workshops focussed on the Evaluation for Excellence toolkit, which all teaching staff at the University must engage with as part of their promotion process.   

·         Developing a research informed approach to authentic assessment, a key element in our new principles of Learning, Teaching and Assessment. This will include the development of an asynchronous learning resource. 

And act as tutor on the PGCAP programme and reviews applications for FHEA, SFHEA and PFHEA through our PRP scheme. 

Teaching Fellowships offer the opportunity of valuable experience to those early in their academic careers and the University is keen to maximise the benefit to as many people as possible.  The post of Teaching Fellow will involve a significant teaching load, which may extend into the summer period, and there may be related scholarship and the opportunity for administrative duties which relate to education and pedagogy.  

The post is for a fixed term only, and it is not anticipated that the post will be extended beyond this fixed term. We’re open to external applications and to those looking for a secondment.  

Successful applicants will, ideally be in post by 1 September 2023 

The University provides a working and teaching environment that 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 

At Grade 7

• Teach modules in appropriate learning environments at postgraduate levels, demonstrating an increasing awareness of different approaches to and methods of teaching and supporting student learning;
• Demonstrate the ability to manage own teaching and designing, planning and writing teaching materials;
• Lead some aspects of modules and contribute to modules led by others by collaborating with colleagues on course development; 
• Develop and deliver an inclusive curriculum and make an active contribution to an inclusive community in which diversity is embraced and celebrated;
• Seek and take on board feedback on teaching and engage with others in CPD;
• Supervise undergraduate student(s), and where appropriate act as part of a PhD supervisory team;
• Contribute to educational skill of colleagues, e.g. giving a seminar to colleagues or engaging in constructive discussion about a seminar;
• Build internal contacts and participate in networks to exchange information;
• Start to engage in scholarship (the creation, development and maintenance of the intellectual infrastructure of subjects and disciplines) e.g. develop online teaching resources;
• Membership of some departmental committees and professional body memberships;
• Student support, assessment of academic performance and provision of feedback, dealing with student disciplinary matters and complaints;
• Undertake effectively and efficiently any administrative role allocated by your Head of Department.
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by attending relevant training and development courses.  

In addition, at Grade 8:

• Develop, design and teach modules in a variety of settings at undergraduate and/or postgraduate levels and in complex formats;
• Write teaching materials, progress reports, handbooks and marketing and/or publicity materials;
• Develop approaches to teaching and learning that are innovative for the subject, demonstrating best practice;
• Tailor one to one sessions to the needs of individual students;
• Provide leadership of teaching and learning, including coordinating and delegating within the department;
• As module leader, being accountable for resources of the module, e.g. delegated budget, staffing and equipment;
• Participate in the quality assurance of modules and programmes;
• Liaise with contacts internally and externally in order to influence opinion and decision making, for example negotiation of future partnership arrangements for providing programmes in other organisations, negotiations for external funding.
• Take on a leadership role in relation to relevant teaching/programme committees;
• Participate in and develop external networks, in order to contribute to student recruitment, secure placements, facilitate outreach work and income generation;
• Actively promote and market programmes to prospective students and other organisations;
• Contribute to the induction, training, mentoring and development of junior colleagues.

Working at Durham  

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:  

•    30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.   
•    We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled  into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS). 
•    No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. 
•    There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.  
•    Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. 
•    On site nursery is available and children’s clubs in the summer holidays. 
•    Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). 
•    The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community 
•    Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.  
•    A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.  
•    If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools.  If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. 

Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values 

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct.  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. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. 

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.  If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application.  If you are a candidate with a disability, 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, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. 

Contact Information  

Department contact for academic-related enquiries  

Prof. Simon Rees, Head of Academic Development, [email protected]  

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   

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.   

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.   

Submitting your application  

We prefer to receive applications online.   We will update you about 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 make sure you have not missed any of our updates. 

What to Submit  

All applicants are asked to submit:  

·         a CV and covering letter which details your experience, skills and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below. 

·         a statement as to your aspirations as a Teaching Fellow in terms of what motivates you, what you would like to achieve and what your broad approaches to teaching excellence and innovation are (maximum 2 pages). 

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 3 academic referees they should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s).  The majority should be from a University other than your own (save for early career applicants applying for their first post).  

References will be requested for candidates who have been shortlisted and will be made available to the panel during the interview process.  

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 an interview. We will only request references where permission has been granted.   

Next Steps  

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.  The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to staff 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.  

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/governance/information-governance/privacy-notices/privacy-notices/job-applicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.    

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

Person Specification 

Candidates applying for a grade 7 post will have recently completed or be concluding their PhD and, while they may have limited direct experience of the requirements for the post, they must outline their experience, skills and achievements to date which demonstrate that they meet or that they have the potential to achieve the below criteria:

Essential Criteria for Grade 7:

• A good first degree in any subject
• A PhD (or be close to submission) in any subject or a related subject, or equivalent demonstrable practitioner experience which may include appropriate certification and/or membership of a relevant professional body.
• Experience of teaching and examining at University level with positive student feedback gained.
• 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.
• Demonstrable ability to participate in the collegial/administrative activities of an academic department and/or discipline.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums.
• Hold for FHEA status (for G7)

Essential Criteria for Grade 8:

 A good first degree in any subject (or a related subject)

• A PhD (or be close to submission) in any subject or a related subject, or equivalent demonstrable practitioner experience which may include appropriate certification and/or membership of a relevant professional body.
• Experience of providing excellent teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
• Experience of successfully developing innovative teaching methods for the design/delivery of high quality teaching.
• Experience of participating in the collegial/administrative activities of an academic department and/or discipline.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums.
• Hold SFHEA status (for G8)

Desirable Criteria For Grade 7

• active membership and engagement with a professional body;
• demonstrable innovation in educational practice;
• publication in a scholarly journal or relevant professional publication;
• Attending and presenting internal and/or external seminars or at a regional conference; and/or
• Materials/curriculum development for wider use in a department.

Desirable Criteria For Grade 8

 Experience of leading on curriculum design, development and assessment.

• Experience of the academic management of undergraduate or postgraduate programmes.
• Experience of providing high quality one-to-one student supervision.
• Evidence of work undertaken in preparation for teaching and keeping up to date with developments in the subject area, such as

 active membership and engagement with a professional body;