Lecturer in Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Education

Job ID: 014404

Salary: £38,304- £41,517 including London Weighting Allowance 

Posted: 27-Jan-2021

Closing date: 21-Mar-2021

Business unit: Faculty of Arts & Humanities

Department: Liberal Arts

Contact details: Dr Alana Harris , alana.harris@kcl.ac.uk

Strand Campus   Academic and teaching    

Job description
We are seeking an interdisciplinary educator with interests in and experience of  digital and online education and a track record of teaching interdisciplinary studies within Arts & Humanities.   

This appointment will join the Liberal Arts Department and will play an important role in delivering the Faculty’s online Global Cultures MA (teaching, pastoral support, and academic administration) as well as contributing to some aspects of the Liberal Arts Department. These additional duties may include on-campus teaching at undergraduate level, organisation of relevant extra-curricular events, administration and providing pastoral support to students.  

We seek applicants who can contribute to our goals of delivering innovative, inclusive, and globally-minded education. This appointment will be expected to have expertise in online pedagogies. Our twenty-first century Liberal Arts Education seeks to enable students (at both undergraduate and postgraduate level) to develop a flexible, interdisciplinary skillset and thus equip them to address complex, multi-faceted global problems in the modern world. Our approach to learning in the Liberal Arts programmes is student-centred, research-based, co-creative, and highly interdisciplinary. 
Education, leadership, and administration (80%)  

The Lecturer will contribute to teaching, administration, and pastoral support for the Global Cultures MA programme. The Global Cultures MA will be the first online programme offered by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities in the context of the partnership between King’s College London Online and Pearson. The programme will bring together the expertise of four different departments (Liberal Arts; French; German; and SPLAS) through which students will gain knowledge on key, complex discussions that shape global cultures, as well as learning to identify and develop practices that promote higher understanding and inclusion.   
 
In a broad sense, the programme seeks to tackle some of the pressing issues related to global cultures not only through an academic/intellectual perspective, but also on a professional/practical level. Conceived and developed in line with the increasing need for understanding concepts and practices of diversity and inclusion in global contexts and workplaces, this programme will enable students to reflect, articulate, and communicate their practices across markers of difference, particularly cultural differences, enhancing their capabilities as global citizens.  
 
Working in multidisciplinary teaching teams, the post-holder will be involved in the following interdisciplinary modules of the Global Cultures MA: 

• Advanced Research Skills;  
• Research Project Design 
• Connecting Cultures: Migration and Immigration

The post-holder will also support teaching, student engagement, assessment and administration across the entire MA programme supplementing the efforts of Faculty colleagues designing, delivering, and marking modules in Stages 1 and 2 of the Programme carousels.  

Commitment to and experience of pastoral care and supporting student wellbeing is highly desirable. As part of the Liberal Arts team, the lecturer will contribute to fostering an active culture of engagement with the BA and MA programmes, including teaching, organising and attending extra-curricular activities as well as contributing to marking assessments of relevant modules. The lecturer will also be asked to serve in academic administration/leadership roles as required.  
 
Scholarship (20%)
This Lecturer in Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Education (Academic Education Pathway) will pursue independent scholarship relating to their field of expertise. A strong commitment to and experience of developing interdisciplinary scholarship is highly desirable. 
 
This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 2 years.
This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent.
 

Key responsibilities

• Take a role in planning, designing, and the delivery of teaching and assessment activities within the Global Cultures MA (and undergraduate Liberal Arts BA module(s) if required), including team-teaching;
• To develop and use innovative and effective online and blended teaching and learning techniques and resources that support the development of appropriate knowledge and skills through online, digital, blended and face-to-face delivery;
• To develop knowledge of all teaching aspects related to the Global Cultures MA and provide support when required, including marking assessments, engaging with asynchronous activities, and pastoral care across the programme;
• To contribute to the ongoing development, design, and enhancement of the whole Liberal Arts curriculum, in a manner that supports an interdisciplinary approach to student learning and the overall student experience;
• To undertake academic-administrative role(s) in the Liberal Arts Department, as required;
• To serve as personal tutor for Liberal Arts students, offering pastoral care and academic service, including curricular advice across the full breadth of the degree (from Music to Geography);
• To contribute to departmental events and activities, as required;
• Supported by the Director of Liberal Arts, to develop a strong working knowledge of the Liberal Arts programme in order to advise students and colleagues appropriately;
• To undertake other reasonable duties at the request of the Director of Liberal Arts and the Director of the MA Global Cultures;
• To engage in scholarship to enhance teaching, interdisciplinary and online learning pedagogies and to support professional development.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience 
Essential criteria 

• PhD awarded or near to completion in a relevant field of expertise, with a focus on interdisciplinary studies;
• A developing record of high-quality scholarship in an academic discipline and/or educational inquiry/scholarship of teaching and learning appropriate to career stage;
• Completion of appropriate training in equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion and inter-cultural competencies or willingness to undertake it in post;
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of aspects related to digital (online and technology-enhanced/blended) education, and the ability to connect this material to a range of disciplines;
• Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent administrative and organisational skills;
• Experience of teaching interdisciplinary studies in Higher Education, with evidence of innovative, inclusive, and effective teaching, and ability to engage and inspire students;
• Experience of assessment procedures in UK Higher Education and providing excellent feedback.

Desirable criteria  

• Interest and experience in interdisciplinary teaching and learning within arts & humanities.
• Experience of designing, delivering, and managing online modules in Higher Education.
• Completion of appropriate training in Higher Education teaching and learning/academic practice
• Experience of providing academic advice and pastoral support to students

Further information
Given the six-term academic year operational for the Global Cultures MA, we would like the successful candidate to commence in May 2021