Shaping your future in Academia

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Shaping your future in Academia

• Sue Palmer
• Associate Dean
• Edge Hill University

2
Potential routes
Lecturer Research Assistant Senior
Lecturer Research Associate Principal
Lecturer Research Fellow Reader in
Reader educational development
Professor Associate/Dean PVC VC
3
me
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My route

• Pre 1992 teaching in schools
• 1986-1992 BA in Psychology with OU
• 1993 -1997 PhD
• 1994-1998 teaching assistant
• 1998 first ft lecturing post (Manchester)
  lecturer (A)
• 2000 moved up grades to lecturer (B) (senior
  lecturer)
• 2002 promoted to senior lecturer (principal
  lecturer)
• 2003 promoted to associate dean
• 2005 awarded Readership in Educational
  Development
• 2006 awarded personal chair
• 2006/07 ???? Applying for Deans posts

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Power interview with senior PVC

• Research
• Get at least 3 publications in high rated
  journals RAE return
• Apply for internal career development grants
• Apply for external funding
• Co-supervise PhD students
• CPD research supervision
• Director of studies for PhD students to
  completion
• Attend and/or present at conferences
• Referee papers
• Review grants
• Edit journal
• Network

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Power interview with senior PVC

• Teaching
• Develop new modules
• Module leadership
• Programme leadership
• CPD teaching learning and assessment
• CPD student support and guidance
• Become personal tutor
• Take on responsibility such as admissions tutor
• Get involved with student advisory centre
• Apply for internal teaching fellowship
• Apply for national teaching fellowship
• Network

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Power interview with senior PVC

• Administration
• Get on Faculty committees
• Stand for election for University committees
• Stand for election for Senate
• Volunteer for working groups
• Organise internal conference
• Stand for election for external committees
• Get involved with HEA and subject centre
• Network
• Actively seek high level contacts
• Be efficient and effective
• Manage a budget

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My response

• Research
• Published 4 papers from PhD in time for RAE in
  high impact journals (tip write 2 versions of
  same paper one for practitioner one for
  researchers) others later
• Won internal research development grant
  employed RA
• Used that work to apply for external funding
• Co-supervised PhD student with HoD
• DoS for 3 PhD students
• Presented poster whilst doing PhD then paper with
  someone else
• Presented papers at national and international
  conferences from PhD work then other material
• Networked widely

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Research cont

• Reviewed books, papers, grants
• Co-edited then edited journal
• Authored book
• Edited 2 books
• Wrote 3 book chapters
• Developed test material for use with children
  with dyslexia
• Developed test material with overseas
  organisations translation of own test materials
  
• Manage external funding grants, line manage
  research assistants

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Teaching

• Developed new module as teaching assistant
  whilst doing PhD
• PGCertHE teaching and learning even though I was
  already a qualified teacher good networking
  with senior staff useful skills especially for
  assessment
• Module leader for 8 modules in early years of FT
  too much dont take on this load
• Programme leader 2000
• PDHE for student support and guidance later
  became consultant to course
• Faculty tutor 2001 as a result
• Awarded grants for teaching innovation
  development
• Won inter university competition for curriculum
  innovation

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Teaching cont

• External funding for innovation development
• Went to Maastricht Uni to learn more about PBL
• Developed UKs first PBL Psychology programme
• Wrote PBL teaching materials PALS
• Awarded NTFS 2004
• Developed external relationships with employers
• Currently developing career development learning
  programme

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Administration

• Faculty committee member elected, co-opted,
  chaired
• University committee faculty rep, elected,
  chair
• Elected member of senate later council member
• Invited to sit on interview panels, validation
  internal and external panels, chair validation
  panels
• Member of some key working groups on academic
  regulations, degree classifications, retention,
  research bids (eg CETL, LLN)
• Attend external consultation events
• Get face and name known by key senior managers
• Elected member of ILTHE later HEA committees
• Organising committee for internal, national and
  international conferences

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Administration

• Respond to email as soon as you get them
• Complete paperwork on time
• Keep a to do list up-to-date
• Return calls
• Attend leaving dos, graduation ceremonies etc
• Circulate at functions introduce yourself or
  get an introduction to influential people

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What next?

• Currently applying for Deans posts
• Brush up on interview technique
• Keep CV up-to-date 2 versions short one with
  bullet points for expressions of interest, long
  one for targeting promotion
• Keep eye on job market
• Make time to review research as it is easy to let
  it slip in management

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What can you do?

• Know the market
• Develop CV
• Make yourself know to the right people
• Set yourself a target
• Work towards your goals
• Review your progress regularly

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Any questions?

• Email
• palmers_at_edgehill.ac.uk