Lady Margaret Hall, a college of the University of Oxford, was founded in 1879 with a dual passion for learning and for equality, making it possible for the first time for women to study at Oxford. Today, the College continues to draw inspiration from this great foundation vision. It is now a co-educational academic community of about 400 undergraduate and 250 postgraduate students, committed to research and scholarship and to effective, highly personalised teaching and learning for students from all backgrounds.
Study Skills at LMH
Study skills at LMH owe much to the successful foundation in September 2018 of the Oxford Study Skills Centre (OSSC) by Dr Margaret Coombe, an LMH alumna with many years experience of successful study skills teaching, supported by seed capital from alumni donors. The OSSC has been available to all Oxford colleges. Its services have been free of charge to LMH students and offered on a chargeable basis to other Oxford colleges. Other colleges have since followed our model and set up their own study skills provision; the OSSC has also helped by providing a forum for best practice for those working in study skills across the colleges.
On the retirement of Dr Margaret Coombe, the OSSC will not be continuing. However, LMH retains its commitment to study skills and to working co-operatively with other colleges. LMH is now seeking to appoint two dedicated study skills lecturers to both teach and run the study skills provision in LMH. We anticipate appointing two lecturers with complementary expertise, one in humanities/social sciences and one in the sciences who will work closely together as our new study skills provision evolves.
The Roles
The lecturers will help students with all aspects of study-related skills, including time management, organisation skills, researching, critical thinking, reasoning, presentations, exam preparation, answering the question, revision skills, overcoming obstacles, self-motivation, listening, reading, note-taking, and more. They will offer personal sessions to individual students, and they will also hold group sessions at key stages in a student’s career and for groups of students with specific needs. These will include: transitioning to Oxford, time management, using the Christmas vacation (for first years mostly); dissertation writing, exam preparation, revision skills, returning to college after a year out for any reason, managing stress before exams. These will predominantly be for undergraduate students (including visiting students), but there is also demand from postgraduates on taught master’s courses.
The lecturers are expected to help organise study skills events for offer-holders, attend Open Days and other access events and run an autumn talks series each year.
As we transition from having OSSC based at LMH, the lecturers will be required to develop their own materials for sessions and to evaluate the latest pedagogical research in the area. We expect the appointees to work co-operatively with study skills lecturers at other colleges to share best practice. The lecturers will also work co-operatively with the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and other relevant central university bodies.
The lecturers are expected to work, with administrative support from the academic office, to fulfil all the necessary administration for study skills, which would include booking sessions, promoting study skills provision, and co-ordinating other study skills provision, where necessary to meet LMH students’ needs.
The posts are funded for two years, but further funding is being sought and the intention is to continue study skills provision. The appointees would be expected to engage with any fundraising initiatives, which might include presenting to potential donors.
The Wellbeing Team
The study skills provision will be positioned in the ‘wellbeing’ team within the College, which is led by the Head of Wellbeing (a new position), who reports directly to the Principal. The Head of Wellbeing will line manage the study skills lecturers, though it is envisaged that the two Study skills lecturers will maintain a high level of independence within their job-share relationship, working together to drive forward the broader wellbeing agenda though their focus on academic and study skills support.
Relationships
- Reporting to: Head of Wellbeing
- Working with: Senior Tutor, Tutor for Graduates, Director of Visiting Students, Foundation Year Co-ordinator,
Person Specification
The postholder will be an excellent tutor of study skills, with the ability to support all students within the University of Oxford.
Essential
- A good standard of education including a doctorate, or nearing completion of a doctorate.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, with good listening skills.
- Knowledge of current research on teaching study skills, and experience in teaching study skills.
- An understanding of the demands of the University of Oxford and common student issues.
- Team player with the flexibility to work co-operatively both within the College and with external partners.
- Good organisation, administrative and IT skills necessary for the supporting administration of study skills in LMH.
- Fluent spoken and written English and a professional email manner
Desirable
- Experience of tutorial teaching in the University of Oxford or a similar institution.
- Flexibility with working hours
Terms and Conditions
The salary will be £13,962 - £15,703 per annum (depending on experience, subject to cost of living increase) on the stipendiary lecturer scale for 6 contact hours, which is considered to be 50% FTE for pension purposes. The hours are 18.75 per week. We will also consider applications from those able to offer different numbers of hours.
Benefits of working for the College include pro rata 36 days holiday (including bank holidays), Annual leave must be taken outside term time. The post is pensionable with USS for which you will be automatically enrolled.
You are entitled to one free meal a day whilst on duty and when the kitchens are open. When the kitchens are closed a meal allowance will be paid in lieu.
You will be eligible for election to the Senior Common Room, membership of which carries a small subscription fee.
To apply for this position, please send a CV, Cover Letter and equal opportunities monitoring form to recruitment@lmh.ox.ac.uk, or post to the HR Office, LMH, Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6QA by noon on Monday 1st August 2022. Interviews are expected to take place on 26th August and shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a 10-minute presentation on “The study skills priorities for Oxford Students”.
A principal aim of LMH’s Equal Opportunities Policy is 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.
Issued by the HR Office
July 2022
