Further Particulars

This document includes information about the role for which you are applying and the information you will need to provide with the application.

1. Role details Vacancy reference: 10387 Job title: Project Officer (Languages) Reports to: Languages Staff Tutor, FELS Terms and conditions: Academic Related Grade: 7 Duration of post: Temporary till 31 July 2015 Working hours: 7.4 hours per week Location: Edinburgh Closing date: 15 August 2014 Type of application form accepted: Full version only Number of referees required: 3 Unit recruitment contact: Karen Smith

2. Summary of duties Job Duties

The job holder is appointed to Open University in Scotland. The job holder will principally support the Languages Staff Tutor in Scotland with regard to the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) project and will also liaise with the Corporate Development Manager, the Director Scotland, GCU staff, and other OU staff as required.

1. Project Setup . Work with Corporate Development Manager, Languages Staff Tutor and Director to ensure OU-GCU Proposal and Memorandum of Understanding documents are updated to underpin the project mandate. . Set up and attend annual project review meeting, prepare project statistics to show how programme outcomes have been met and discuss enhancements for the following year.

2. Budgets . Use OU systems to record expenditure and participate in forecasting activities, as required.

Human Resources HRG158 Issue 2 January 2010 Page 1 of 5 3. Liaison with GCU and OU staff . Work with the GCU Co-ordinator and OU staff as a single point of contact for queries, referring these appropriately. . Provide administrative support to ensure the smooth running of the project, and attend review meetings with GCU.

4. AL Appointments and contact . Manage the process of AL appointments with advice from the Languages Staff Tutor and in co-ordination with the FELS Team Assistant and relevant office-based staff. . Manage AL queries around the project. . Support Associate Lecturer work particularly in administrative and organisational aspects.

5. Tutor-student allocation and timetables . Prepare tutorial timetables in discussion with Staff Tutor and tutors. . Liaise with Faculty Co-ordinator and Staff Tutor regarding TSA for GCU groups.

6. Student Progress and Retention . Maintain data around the project for reporting and evaluation purposes.

7. Any other relevant duties as required.

3. Person specification Essential  a degree or equivalent qualification;  excellent organisational abilities;  excellent interpersonal and communication skills;  an understanding of open, distance and part-time education;  a good knowledge of Higher Education sector in Scotland;  experience of evaluation and report writing;  experience of collating and presenting data;  the ability to work as part of a team;  experience of project work, preferably project management;  the ability and willingness to travel occasionally to Glasgow and elsewhere, as required for meetings and a willingness to be in the OU in Scotland office optimally once a week;  a commitment to the ideals of the Open University, including equal opportunities and diversity issues and an understanding of how these relate to learning and teaching;  good IT, word-processing and spreadsheet skills.

Desirable:  an interest in or experience of language learning and teaching;  experience of working in a campus university.

4. Role specific requirements e.g. Shift working

The post holder is required to be in the OU in Scotland office mainly on a weekly basis.

5. About the unit/department STUDENT SERVICES, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CENTRES

Human Resources HRG158 Issue 2 January 2010 Page 2 of 5 Student Services is responsible for the provision of educational and administrative services to students and for the recruitment, staff development and supervision of Associate Lecturers. It is the largest Unit of the University with an annual budget of more than £120 million. More than 8,000 staff (1,000 internal and 7,500 Associate Lecturers) are employed by the Unit at or through: As well as providing support services for academic staff and students based in the UK devolved nations, the three National Centres (each lead by a Nation Director) have strategic level responsibility for the University’s business and operations in each nation.

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES, FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE STUDIES The Department of Language is sited within the Faculty of Education and Language Studies (FELS). In 2009/10 FELS had almost 29,000 registered students, covering ten degrees, including four Diplomas in Higher Education. Around half of these students were studying languages, linguistics and English language, with the most popular study areas being French, Spanish and Children’s Literature.

In languages FELS offers modules from beginners’ to graduate level in French, German and Spanish, beginners' and intermediate modules in Italian and beginners' modules in Chinese and Welsh. It also offers modules in English for academic purposes and for professional communication.

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY IN SCOTLAND With more than 15,000 students, The Open University (OU) is Scotland’s leading provider of part-time higher education. Some 40% of Scotland’s students studying part-time at undergraduate level with a higher education institution study with the OU. The cornerstone of the OU’s mission to be open to all and our open entry system allows us to offer the opportunity for study to people from all backgrounds and sections of the community. For example, more than one third of our undergraduate students had qualifications below standard university entrance level when they joined the OU. We are also Scotland’s main provider for students with disabilities, teaching 10% of all disabled students in higher education. Our reach is nationwide, and Open University students can be found in virtually every postcode district and community in Scotland. Hundreds of Scotland’s blue chip employers such as Scottish Power, Standard Life and Royal Bank of Scotland sponsor their staff to study with us. Through our courses and qualifications in areas such as health and social care, education, and business and management, the OU is playing a major role in the training and professional development of Scotland’s workforce across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Today e-learning is an important part of the OU’s course delivery and our student support services. Most OU courses use computing as an integrated part of the learning experience; from online discussion groups and conferencing, to electronic assignment handling, to dedicated course websites. With a high proportion of OU students in Scotland online, even those living in the most isolated areas of the country are able to participate in a truly interactive learning environment. The OU is an integral part of the Scottish higher education community and actively involved in the development of HE policy alongside all other higher education institutions in Scotland. Since 1 April 2000, the teaching of OU students living in

Human Resources HRG158 Issue 2 January 2010 Page 3 of 5 Scotland has been funded by the Scottish Funding Council for Further and Higher Education. The 110 academic, administrative and secretarial and clerical staff at the OU’s centre in Edinburgh offer an extensive range of support and specialist advice services to students in Scotland. The core function of the office is to manage the University’s business in Scotland. This includes managing relationships with government and other external bodies, the research and development of learning and the recruitment and retention of students in Scotland, as well as the employment, support and staff development of the 500 Associate Lecturers who deliver the University’s teaching programmes. The office also provides advice, guidance and learning support to prospective and existing students including a programme of outreach events; administers examinations; organises an annual degree ceremony and promotes the University and its courses within Scotland. We have been voted top university in Scotland for student satisfaction for the past eight years running. More information can be obtained from the OU web site at http://www.open.ac.uk/scotland.

6. How to obtain more information about the role or application process

If you would like to discuss the particulars of this role before making an application please contact Margaret Nicolson on 0131 226 3851 or email [email protected].

If you have any questions regarding the application process please contact Karen Smith on 0131 549 7142 or email [email protected]. Your covering letter or supporting statement should clearly identify how you meet the criteria in the person specification. Please ensure that you provide relevant examples as evidence to support your statements.

7. The application process and where to send completed applications

Please ensure that your application reaches the University by 5pm on 15 August 2014. Post it to: The Open University in Scotland Name/Job title: Karen Smith Department/Unit: Staffing Co-ordinator Address: 10 Drumsheugh Gardens Edinburgh Post Code: EH3 7QJ Or e-mail your application to: [email protected]

8. Selection process and date of interview

The interview panel will be chaired by Margaret Nicolson, Staff Tutor (Languages). The other members of the interview panel to be confirmed. The Interviews will take place week beginning 25 August 2014.

We will let you know as soon as possible after the closing date whether you have been

Human Resources HRG158 Issue 2 January 2010 Page 4 of 5 shortlisted for interview. Further details on the selection process will also be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Applications received after the closing data will not be accepted.

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