Associate Head of Division for Education

As the Associate Head of Division for Education you will be part of a small academic leadership team supporting the Head of Division, Professor Gavin Screaton and the current Deputy Head of Division, Professor Helen McShane. Collectively this team is responsible for the development and oversight of divisional activities.

You will be highly committed to continuing the development of educational activity across the Division, providing input to vision, strategy and planning and play an important role in establishing and representing the Division’s educational goals and interests within the University, and with external agencies, including UKRI (in relation to postgraduate training). You will work closely and collaboratively with the other Associate Heads of Division and education leads across the division. You will also work alongside the 16 departments of MSD and the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, supporting efforts to share good practice, knowledge and expertise across the Division. You will be supported in your leadership role by an education executive group including the Chairs of EPSC’s Graduate School Committee, Undergraduate Studies Committee, and Audit Sub-Committee, and the Director of the Graduate School.

This appointment is open only to internal applicants holding an existing contract of employment with the University of Oxford. All applicants will need the support of their Head of Department to take on this role which is expected to be undertaken alongside existing duties.

A schedule allowance is payable (Schedule II – currently £22,722 p.a.), and the expected duration of this role will be three years in the first instance, with periodic reviews. A buy-out of teaching may be available in certain circumstances.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead strategic developments in the educational arena as appropriate and agreed with the Head of Division;
• represent the Division and provide strategic leadership in matters relating to access, admissions, course fees, student number planning, studentship funding, curricula, assessment, digital education, quality assurance, educational strategy, and internal and external review, and chair divisional working parties as appropriate;
• represent the Division on appropriate University committees (including Council’s Education Committee, Joint Student Number Planning Sub-Committee, and Joint Fees and Student Support Advisory Group) and serve, or approve appropriate alternative MSD representatives to serve on working parties in the general area of educational strategy and policy, as agreed with the Head of Division, and report back to FRGPC, EPSC and the Divisional Board on the matters discussed by these bodies;
• chair and guide the business of the Divisional Board’s Educational Policy and Standards Committee (EPSC);
• chair and guide the business of the Division’s Student Number Planning Panel in respect of proposals for graduate growth; from departments for permanent and MSD PGR Pool places;
• chair the Division’s Teaching Excellence Award Selection Panel;
• chair divisional panels considering medical student appeals and requests for exceptional third examination attempts;
• present reports of the EPSC to the Medical Sciences Board and represent EPSC’s interests at meetings of the Board’s Finance, Research and General Purposes Committee.
• play a leading role in influencing University, national and international education policies and activities

The Associate Head of Division (Education) will work on all relevant matters with the Head of Division, the Chairs of EPSC’s sub-committees (ASC, GSC, and USC), the Directors of Preclinical Studies, Clinical Studies and Graduate entry Medical Studies, the Director of the Graduate School, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and colleagues across the collegiate University, Heads of Department, external partners, and the Head of Educational Policy and Planning and other key individuals in the Divisional Education Office in delivering these responsibilities.

Candidate Profile

1. A senior academic, keen to be involved in the strategic and policy development of the Division and the University as a whole.
2. Experience of considering long-term goals and necessary strategy and tactics to achieve them
3. Understanding of the factors that facilitate and hinder successful educational activity in MSD
4. Ability to consider benefits and risks across MSD as a whole and take decisions about which opportunities to pursue
5. Awareness of and interest in education outside own speciality, including undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research provision, and external drivers in the education landscape
6. Readiness to work with divisional officers to implement policies and strategies
7. Ability to command respect of colleagues, build consensus and resolve conflicts diplomatically

Selection Criteria

• Extensive experience in the delivery of undergraduate and graduate education in one or more Medical Sciences subjects
• Experience of effective committee participation (including chairing)
• A collegiate approach to developing policies and resolving problems
• Demonstrable effectiveness in work with senior professional services colleagues
• An understanding of issues related to education strategy, planning, funding, teaching, learning and assessment
• An understanding of student-facing issues, particularly the impact of educational policy decisions on student welfare, and the impact of student health (especially mental health and disability) on the implementation of policy

How to Apply

To apply, the process is as follows:

1. Formal expressions of interest (EoI) to be made by midday on Tuesday 30 September, sent by email to Jane Dale, Head of Education Policy and Planning at this email address: jane.dale@medsci.ox.ac.uk

2. Your EoI should include a CV and not more than a two page cover letter explaining what you will bring to this role, your previous experience in this area, what you would hope to take away from holding the role, and where you believe you could most support divisional work in this area.

3. Interviews are expected be held in October.  The panel will be chaired by Gavin Screaton (Head of Division), other members to be confirmed.

If you have any questions about the role (the precise duties, the time commitment required, etc) you are very welcome in the first instance to contact Jane Dale, Head of Education Policy and Planning (jane.dale@medsci.ox.ac.uk).