Director of Visiting Students

The Visiting Student programme at LMH has been operating since 2000 and will have the following intake of students in the next academic year.

Extended MT: 15 students

HT & TT: 15 Students

Full Year: 15 students

The students are mainly third year undergraduates from US universities coming to Oxford for a Junior Year abroad, but we also have some students from China and from Europe.

This is a permanent appointment. As well as the recruitment of Junior Year Abroad undergraduates, there is also the opportunity to put additional resource into considering the options for expanding the programme to include longer summer courses and to expand the number of institutions from which we recruit and diversify the subject intake.

The College is committed to running a high quality Visiting Student programme. This includes selecting high quality students, providing Visiting Students with an experience as close as possible to that of regular Oxford undergraduates, and integrating them with our current undergraduates.

We aim to admit small numbers of Visiting Students (1-2) across the range of subjects rather than clustering in any one subject to support the integration of the Visiting Students with their undergraduate peers. We have not been achieving that recently and it would be worth doing some additional work to establish whether this is realistic or whether we should focus our provision.

The majority of Visiting Students come for the whole academic year, but a significant number come for our Extended Michaelmas term or both the Hilary and Trinity terms.

The Director of Visiting Students will take overall responsibility for the Visiting Students programme and will ensure that LMH is compliant with the Code of Practice for Visiting Students, and any relevant legislation including that relating to visa requirements and right to work checks. The DVS will act as director of studies and personal tutor for all the Visiting Students in College, which will entail organising tutorial teaching across a range of subjects. The DVS will be involved with the pastoral care of students and will meet with them individually three times per term. Social events are also an important aspect of the role.

The DVS will need to liaise with Tutors in the College, across all subjects, about the organisation of teaching, the suitability of the programme of studies, and the admission of new Visiting Students. Tutors in different subjects will work in different ways, and the DVS role is to support them as required. The DVS will make and communicate all admissions decisions. Some tutors are recruited from other colleges and departments of the collegiate university.

The Visiting Student programme provides an essential income stream for the College and the DVS will evaluate ways in which the Visiting Student programme could be expanded.  This might include admitting students out of term time, and/or making particular arrangements with overseas institutions.

We have recently re-launched our Short Academic Programmes activity and the DVS will be encouraged to liaise with the Head of SAP and explore mutually beneficial opportunities.

The DVS will be responsible for encouraging applications from high quality students, and liaising with agencies and institutions which provide students for the programme.  The DVS may pre-select applications prior to liaising with Tutors about the admissions. The DVS will have the overview of applications and should ensure an appropriate intake for the support available.

There is no subject teaching involved in this role, although it is essential that the successful applicant understands the tutorial system. The DVS will need to appreciate the challenges posed to US students by the very different requirements of the Oxford system and will be asked to provide some study skills support to smooth the transition between the US and Oxford teaching system. The DVS will be responsible for organising and delivering a suitable induction programme and materials.

The DVS will be responsible for the budget for Visiting Students, keeping costs within budget and negotiating Visiting Students’ fees with the College treasurer and the external agencies.

The DVS will work closely with the Visiting Students’ Administrator (VSA) who is very experienced.

The DVS will need to establish good working relationships across the College to ensure that the needs of Visiting Students are considered in relation to any developments within the College, e.g. formal dinners and the allocation of accommodation. The DVS will be a member of the Academic Policy Committee and will attend managers’ and staff meetings.

The DVS may be asked to travel occasionally to meet with partners at their institutions (previously, this was one visit to the East Coast of the US every other year).

The DVS compiles and presents an annual review of the Visiting student programme, and outlines future opportunities for LMH over the course of the following year.

The DVS will be welcomed into the Academic Office team of the College. The Academic Office is responsible for the academic administration of the College and it is led by the Senior Tutor (Dr Anne Mullen) and the Academic Registrar (Mrs Catherine Boase-Davies).

Essential

• Experience of university admissions, including evaluating applications and keeping accurate records;
• Experience of organising tutorials for students;
• Experience of personal tutoring and directing studies, with a caring supportive style and the patience to spend time with students and an understanding of the experience of students from overseas;
• Have excellent interpersonal skills, with evidence of sensitivity and tact:

• to support Visiting Students, across a range of subjects, in a pastoral capacity
• to liaise effectively and work with tutors across all disciplines
• to develop good relationships with colleagues across the collegiate University and within the College
• to be discreet and to maintain confidentiality

• Have the academic credibility and personal qualities to represent LMH professionally to overseas universities, to external agencies and to the central university (including the Joint Supervisory Committee for Visiting Students);
• Have good judgement in decision making;
• Have the business and practical sense to liaise with the Treasurer and other colleagues to develop contracts with overseas institutions. To envisage and develop ideas for potentially expanding the Visiting Student programme;
• Have the ability line manage the Visiting Students Administrator.
• Have excellent organisation, administrative and IT skills;
• Have excellent numeracy skills for managing a budget.

Desirable

• Have a good understanding of the structure of the University;
• Have good writing skills with the experience of creating content for web-pages and marketing;
• Administrative experience in a related field;
• Knowledge of the American and Chinese education systems.

Working Hours will need to be flexible, with more time during some weeks of term and fewer in vacations. Some in-person working will be necessary where student contact is required, but much of the work could be completed remotely.

The salary will be c£45k per annum pro rata for a 22.5 hour week.

Benefits of working for the College include 36 days holiday (including bank holidays), the option to join a University pension scheme and one free meal per working day.

Additional benefits include a free annual flu jab, a parking permit scheme, a childcare salary sacrifice scheme, a bicycle purchase scheme, a bus and Train Season Tickets and employee assistance programme.

Application Process

To apply for this position, please send a CV, covering letter demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role and completed equal opportunities monitoring form (voluntary) to recruitment@lmh.ox.ac.uk, or by post to the HR Office, LMH, Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6QA by midday on 23rd June 2022.

For an informal discussion of the post, please contact the Senior Tutor, Dr Anne Mullen by email: seniortutor@lmh.ox.ac.uk to arrange a call.

Equal Opportunities

The College’s Equal Opportunities Policy aims to ensure that in the recruitment, selection, training, appraisal, development and promotion of employees, the only consideration must be that the individual best meets, or is likely to meet, the requirements of the programme or course or post.

Equal Opportunities Form PDF | Equal Opportunities Form Word Document

Lady Margaret Hall is committed to provide a learning, working and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its members are respected, and which is free from prejudice, intimidation and all forms of harassment, including bullying. We seek to ensure that no-one suffers, either directly or indirectly, as a result of discrimination.

Lady Margaret Hall has a range of family-friendly policies.

HR

June 2022