Stipend: £2,100 p.a. plus free accommodation
Background
Green Templeton College was founded in 2008 by a merger between Green College (founded 1979) and Templeton College (founded in 1984). The college is international in membership and outlook, lively and supportive in spirit, with an intellectual agenda focusing on issues relating to human welfare.
The college has over 650 students, undertaking study for more than 100 different graduate programmes, including DPhil, MSc, MBA, PGCE and clinical medicine. 50 students live on site, 103 students live in college accommodation nearby, and a further 65 students live in the college’s accommodation at Rewley Abbey Court close to Oxford station. The college has around 40 Governing Body Fellows and 70 staff members. We aim to lead the way in postgraduate education at the University of Oxford, as well as to be a truly contemporary college: friendly, informal, outward-looking, and future-focused in a traditional Oxford setting.
Our main campus is situated on Woodstock Road, within easy walking distance of the City Centre, the Saïd Business School, and the University Science Area.
The college intends to appoint three graduate students to the role of Junior Dean to start in January 2023, ideally contracted in role until August 2024. The newly appointed Junior Deans will form a team of three, and each Junior Dean is expected to devote an average of 10 hours per week to the position. Incoming Junior Deans will booked onto the University’s training programme. There will also be an opportunity for some handover with our outgoing Junior Deans in January 2023.
If the preferred candidates are not currently a Green Templeton student they may wish to seek academic approval to migrate to GTC prior to starting the role. Candidates should be certain of holding student status at Oxford for the duration of their contract and our preference will be to appoint new Junior Deans from 7 January 2023 to 31 August 2024 but there may be some flexibility within these dates. Junior Deans will be required to live in Green Templeton accommodation and should not have any plans for large blocks of time away from Oxford for the length of the appointment
Main Purpose of Job
The primary role of the Junior Deans is to foster a positive sense of belonging and wellbeing in Green Templeton College through the provision of general welfare support, signposting and guidance to students. Junior Deans will also take a role in responding to minor discipline matters when these are relevant to the student community, and directly reporting more serious misdemeanours to senior staff when appropriate.
Junior Deans act as key liaison figures between staff and students, assist the Dean of Welfare as well as the Dean of Discipline, Senior Tutor and Academic Registrar, and have a central role within the College’s welfare team. Together the Junior Deans report directly to the Senior Tutor.
Junior Deans may be required to follow up on issues referred by the Principal, Senior Tutor, Dean, Welfare Dean, Bursar, Academic Administrator, College Doctor, Lodge Manager and Domestic Bursar, and will in turn be expected to refer issues to relevant professionals as appropriate.
Key responsibilities
- Student Welfare & Discipline
- To know, and to be known by, student members of the College
- To proactively and reactively support students with welfare issues, signposting on to relevant professional or academic services as appropriate and maintaining a connection with the student whilst they secure any necessary specialist support. To liaise with the Senior Tutor, Academic Registrar and Dean of Welfare as necessary.
- To support college staff to maintain an atmosphere in College and College Accommodation conducive to learning by encouraging considerate co-living and understanding of, and compliance with, the rules and regulations of the College and the University of Oxford
- To keep welfare and fairness of all persons involved at the heart dealing with and reporting any disciplinary concerns.
- In respect of the above, to respond to and report disciplinary issues escalating to the Dean of Discipline or Security Services, as required, and in coordination with the Dean of Discipline and Domestic Bursar
- To maintain student confidentiality unless required and legally allowed to do otherwise (e.g. in the instance of threat to self or others)
- To refer health and safety issues to the College’s Health & Safety Officer
- To attend meetings related to their role. These will include (but may not be limited to) regular welfare catch-ups, Welfare Committee meetings (2h a term), monthly meetings with the line manager (2h a term), JD supervisions (4h a term)
- To complete Junior Dean Training (40h) and Prevent training (1h), as well as other training as required by Human Resources or Senior Tutor of Green Templeton College.
Accessibility and Monitoring
- Junior Deans are expected to reside in college and operate a 24-hour on-call rota throughout term (defined as weeks 0-10 inclusive) except for times when granted permission by the Senior Tutor. The on-call rota should be managed to ensure that two Junior Deans are available on site throughout weeks 0-10.
- To attend GCR events, including BOPs, when appropriate.
- To retain a logbook of incidents and activities; produce reports as requested.
- Outside of extended term (weeks 0-10), the Junior Deans will be asked to arrange with HR and their line manager (Senior Tutor) an on-call rota (10.00-18.00). Payment for out-of-term hours will be independent of the contractual Junior Dean compensation, and organised on a retainer basis (see below). Junior Deans to take responsibility for rota-ing themselves equitably.
Coordination, Communication and Representation
- To communicate effectively with the Senior Tutor, Academic Registrar, Domestic Bursar and Deans and involve them when appropriate
- To communicate effectively and regularly with students, including via newsletters and by contributing to college inductions and welcome events
- To work closely and collaboratively with the other Junior Dean(s), dividing tasks, such as those listed below, equitably and sharing information as appropriate
- To help to co-ordinate a consistent system of good communication and close-working with Green Templeton House Supervisors, supported by the Accommodation Services Manager and Domestic Bursar
- To help to co-ordinate a consistent system of good communication and close-working with the GCR Welfare team, supported by the Student Engagement & Welfare Officer and Academic Registrar
- To help to co-ordinate a consistent system of good communication and close-working with the Peer Supporters, supported by the Student Engagement & Welfare Officer and Academic Registrar
- To sit on the Welfare Committee and attend other welfare or discipline-related meetings as required
- To undergo training to become an Invigilator and to invigilate exams in College from time to time. Occasionally, this could take place at a weekend.
Green Templeton welcomes applications from people from all sections of the community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as LGBTQ+ and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, who currently are under-represented in the college staff team.
Person Specification
Essential
- Applicants must be a graduate student enrolled at the University of Oxford for the duration of their appointment, and preferably until 31 August 2024
- Ability to relate professionally with staff, fellows, and students
- Ability to be approachable, empathic, and listen sensitively without being judgmental
- An understanding of confidentiality when dealing with sensitive and personal issues
- Ability to act as an advocate when required
- Ability to to respond to both welfare and minor disciplinary issues
- Experience working as part of a team
- Flexibility to put in the hours required of the position
- Ability to take the lead, once provided with the appropriate training, in practical situations involving health and safety
- Ability to keep meticulous records and write reports to deadline
- Understanding of graduate student life and its academic pressures and welfare issues
- Commitment to promoting awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion and embedding these principles in all aspects of the Junior Dean role
- Must live in Green Templeton accommodation
Terms and Conditions of Employment
Training and Support
Each Junior Dean will be required to attend the University Counselling Service’s 30-hour Junior Dean training course and to take a one-day course in First Aid. The Junior Deans will further be required to attend the Counselling Service’s fortnightly Junior Dean supervisions during term time throughout their tenures as Junior Deans.
The Junior Deans may also choose, but are not required, to attend welfare and safety training courses offered through OUSU, Nightline, and other providers.
Hours
It is expected that the Junior Deans will each commit to an average of 10 hours per week on these duties during weeks 0-10 inclusive. Junior Deans will be asked to live on-site and co-ordinate their activities to provide maximum cover for the College. In addition, this will involve being on-call during evenings and weekends.
The expectations of work for on-call duties are as follows:
- To ensure that one Junior Dean is on call and a second always available to provide additional support onsite during term time through Weeks 0 to 10 inclusive. A 2-week rota system is recommended, although the JD team will have freedom to organise the rota as required. The Junior Dean on call is expected to respond as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours, to any non-urgent situation reported. Urgent situations that occur out of hours should be escalated to relevant professional services via the Lodge and reported to relevant college officers as required.
- To monitor the JD email, triage enquiries, and reply to non-urgent issues in a reasonable amount of time. Junior Deans are expected to be readily available for students requiring help or support of a pastoral nature, and will also be receptive to an informal approach.
- To arrange a suitable handover at the end of the shift. This will include a list of ongoing and outstanding issues, as well as a record of situations that have been dealt with.
- Some student issues may be most appropriately handled by a single Junior Dean regardless of the rota. Examples include acute issues, situations where continuity of care and support is needed to be established, or simply students that wish to speak to a particular Junior Dean, for example, due to pre-existing relationships with students, gender, or ethnicity. In these cases, the Junior Dean involved will monitor the situation while off-call and request support from senior staff or the other Junior Deans when necessary.
- To check on the whereabouts and wellbeing of any student member of College about whom there is concern.
- To deal with occasional urgent situations, such as illness, when they arise and to ensure the appropriate professional services are called and college officers alerted.
- In matters related to discipline, Junior Deans are expected to exercise their own judgement in the upholding of college regulations and will report serious violations to their line manager, Domestic Bursar, or directly to the Dean of Discipline as required.
- To respond to call-outs 24/7 and deal with minor misdemeanours directly when it is safe to do so. If it is unsafe to do so, then to arrange support from the Lodge, the University Security Service, or the Police.
Annual leave entitlement
Junior deans will be entitled to 38 days annual leave calculated pro-rata for part-time hours and for term time working per year. Junior Deans will be expected to reside onsite during weeks 0-10 of term and to take their annual leave out of term time during the University vacation periods, specifically the three weeks of Christmas and Easter vacation after week 10 and the first three weeks of July in the Long Vacation.
It is expected that Junior Deans will co-ordinate annual leave with their line manager to ensure that at least one Junior Dean is available at any one time during these vacation periods.
Permission for short periods of leave during term where it is required to attend conferences or similar that are important for academic work will not be declined without good reason though it will be necessary to ensure that the required on-call rota can be delivered throughout weeks 0-10. Leave for longer would normally require agreement for a sabbatical to ensure that alternative cover can be arranged.
Probationary Period
Newly appointed Junior Deans will be subject to a six month probationary period.
Term
Our preference is for candidates to be available to start from 7 January 2023 with a contract to end of August 2024. There may be some flexibility within these dates.
Remuneration
College will provide accommodation without charge in a college residence, weekday lunch-time dining rights (when the kitchen is open), and a stipend of £2100 per year paid termly in three instalments.
Additional pay by way of a daily on-call retainer (two hours per day paid at the equivalent of the University’s Scale 5 rate per hour) will be arranged for the vacation periods (as detailed above)
to ensure that one Junior Dean is available throughout the year.
Green Templeton College is an independent employer and does not automatically apply University of Oxford employment terms and conditions or policies.
Recruitment Timetable
Application closing date
Tuesday 25 October 2022 at 12:00.
Interview
Interviews are expected to take place on Friday 11 November 2022 in person. As there are several staff members involved in the selection process it will not be possible to alter the interview date.
In the interests of economy we will only contact those candidates who have been shortlisted for interview and they will be informed by telephone or email. Applicants are welcome to telephone or email to check the progress of their application.
How to apply
Please submit the following to hr@gtc.ox.ac.uk by Tuesday 25 October 2022 at 12:00 noon.
- CV providing details of relevant achievements as well as your professional and educational history.
- Covering letter summarizing your interest in this post and providing evidence of your ability to match the criteria outlined in the Person Specification. It is recommended that you ebsure all essential criteria are addressed in your covering letter.
- A Diversity Monitoring Form which will assist us with monitoring equal opportunities in recruitment. We can assure you that the information given is kept separately from the information used in recruitment decisions; that all information is strictly confidential, used purely for statistical purposes and to ensure that policies are being applied fairly.
- Contact details of two referees. Green Templeton will assume that it is free to approach referees at any stage of the application process unless the applicant states otherwise. One of the referees should be the current academic supervisor who confirms that they are making good progress with their studies/research and that the supervisor supports the application for the Junior Dean position.
- If the preferred applicant is not a Green Templeton Student the offer will be subject to academic approval of a migration to GTC.
Data Protection
All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining their suitability for the post, and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the College’s Data Protection Policy.
* This article was originally published here
Post a Comment