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Lecturer in Anthropology and African Studies

Employer
University of Birmingham
Location
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Salary
£41,526.00 - £41,526.00
Closing date
Apr 25, 2021

View more

Sector
Art and Humanities
Hours
Full Time
Organization Type
University and College
Jobseeker Type
Academic (e.g. 'Lecturer')
Position Details

School of History and Cultures

College of Arts and Law

Grade 8

Full Time

Fixed Term Contract to 31 August 2023

This appointment offers an exciting opportunity to join the Department of African Studies and Anthropology in the School of History and Cultures at Birmingham. Anthropology is an area of growing demand in our undergraduate teaching, and it has long been a significant component of our international reputation for multi-/inter-disciplinary research on Africa. In REF 2014 DASA was assessed as an Area Studies unit, and was ranked 2nd by GPA nationally, with exceptionally high-calibre research publications as well as strong impact beyond the academy.

We seek a specialist to extend our research and teaching expertise in the field of social Anthropology, with expertise in any region of sub-Saharan Africa or its diasporas. Candidates should be able to engage with debates about Development and Politics in Africa.

DASA is a highly successful Africanist research unit, with a vibrant graduate interdisciplinary intellectual environment. The appointee will be expected to contribute to this success and vibrancy with a commitment to high-quality teaching delivery at undergraduate and postgraduate level; and by participating in postgraduate research training workshops, weekly Africa Talks seminars, and other events, symposia and conferences hosted by the Department or the School of History and Cultures. The Birmingham Research Institute in History and Cultures (BRIHC) plays a central role for facilitating staff and student research within the School.

The appointee will be expected to consolidate and expand our teaching provision, by delivering core undergraduate and graduate modules in our Anthropology and African Studies curriculum.In the first year these are likely to include the existing modules 'Introduction to African Politics', 'Introduction to African Development', 'Theory and Ethnography', 'Research in Practice', and 'Livelihoods and Development in West Africa'. The appointee will also develop new optional modules which will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students and will reflect their own research specialisms and cross-disciplinary interests in areas such as: religion and ritual; identities and inequalities, including gender, race and class; migration; labour and livelihoods; development; global health; kinship, childhood and youth; popular culture, including social media; political power and institutionalisation.

The successful candidate will be expected to participate fully in the administration of teaching (e.g. by promoting and supporting the leadership of our undergraduate and graduate programmes) and to assume a key departmental role (e.g. staff-student liaison, examinations, admissions) and/or other roles, as appropriate, in the larger School of History and Cultures.

Job Description - Lecturer

Scope of the Role

Contribute to teaching and administration.

Teaching is likely to include a substantial contribution to: (a) the management, development (including programme/module review) and delivery of teaching and assessment; and (b) enhancement of the student experience or employability. The role will typically also involve developing and advising others, including: (a) providing expert advice to staff and students, (b) supervising and examining PhD students, and (c) developing and advising others on learning and teaching tasks and methods.

Management and administration is likely to involve contributions at Departmental and School level, and/or making an important contribution to some managerial/leadership activities (e.g. working groups) within the University. This may include developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, schools outreach, or similar activities at Department/School level or further within the University.

Main Duties

Teaching focused Lecturer role-holders will:
  • Contribute to leading curriculum development and/or renewal; and
  • Develop and manage approaches to teaching and learning that are innovative to the subject area or institution; and
  • Advise others on aspects of learning, teaching and assessment; and
  • Deliver (where appropriate to the discipline) specific professional programmes; and
  • Advance the practice of teaching in their modules and within the school; and
  • Play an important role in student academic support; and
  • Inform their teaching practice by discipline-based research; and
  • Frequently update their own subject expertise, and undertake personal professional development in teaching, including self-reflection on own teaching, using student and peer review feedback, to enhance own teaching and learning processes; and
  • Typically carry a higher teaching load than those staff who carry out both teaching and research; and
  • Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) and similar activity that is of manifest benefit to the College and the University.

In addition, they may play an important role in the recruitment and admission of students; and co-supervise, with a research focused or research and teaching focused member of staff, doctoral students to completion.

Learning and Teaching

To use a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of undergraduates, postgraduates, or CPD students. Where appropriate to the discipline this may include:
  • Teach and examine courses at a range of levels
  • Plan and review own teaching approaches and act as a mentor to encourage others to do the same
  • Develop programme proposals and make substantial contributions to the design of teaching programmes more widely in the Department or School, as appropriate
  • Undertake and develop the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining (including assessed work contributing to the final award - as a mark or as credit- such as unseen examinations, essays, dissertations or presentations)
  • Use appropriate approaches to learning and teaching in their field
  • Disseminate appropriate practices through suitable media
  • Develop and advise others on learning and teaching tasks and methods
  • Devise and supervise projects, student dissertations and practical work
  • Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement or similar on own specialism that enhances the student experience or employability and is of manifest benefit to the College and the University


Management/ Administration

To contribute to Departmental /School administration or have a high level of responsibility for others. This may include:
  • Contribute to the administration/management of teaching across the Department/School
  • Lead and manage a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive)
  • Advise on personal development of colleagues and students
  • Make a major contribution to some administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups)
  • Manage enterprise, business development, and public engagement activities that are of manifest benefit to the College and University
  • Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, schools outreach

Actively manage equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and by challenging unacceptable behaviour.

Skills and Experience
  • Normally, a higher Degree relevant to the discipline area (usually PhD) or equivalent qualifications.
  • Research/teaching experience and scholarship within subject specialism.
  • Proven ability to devise, advise on and manage learning.
  • Skills in managing, motivating & mentoring others successfully at all levels.


Teaching
  • Ability to design, deliver, assess and revise teaching programmes.
  • Experience and demonstrated success in developing appropriate approaches to learning and teaching and advising colleagues
  • Experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity that enhances the student experience or employability


Management Administration
  • Ability to contribute to School/Departmental management processes
  • Ability to assess and organise resources effectively
  • Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes.
  • Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
  • Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied.
  • Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action


For further information please contact m.i.nolte@bham.ac.uk

We value diversity at The University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community'

Valuing excellence; sustaining investment

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