BIFCATeaching Fellow in English

Language Course

28012016

Job Title / BIFCA Teaching Fellow in English Language
Faculty/ School/Department / Birmingham Institute of Fashion and Creative Art (BIFCA)
Responsible to: / BIFCA Assistant Dean
Responsible for: / BIFCA English Language Tutors
Job Purpose
Based in Wuhan to make BIFCA successful through providing leadership, strategic and operational management in the context of the University’s Strategic Plan and specifically as this relates to English Language teaching and testing at BIFCA; and to do this in constructive collaboration with Wuhan Textile University (WTU) staff according to the University’s agreement with WTU.
Main activities and responsibilities
BIFCA operations
  1. To help ensure the successful operations of BIFCA within WTU.
  2. Make a valuable contribution to the leadership and management of BIFCA and help ensure that the BIFCA Management Team creates a supportive, vibrant and engaging achievement-oriented culture.
  3. Work with the BIFCA Assistant Dean and Head of English to monitor student English Language performance against targets and work with them to address underperformance against those targets.
  4. Develop, cement and sustain good working relationships with our partner Wuhan Textile University to ensure the growth and success of BIFCA, through expansion of the course offer at BIFCA, and progression of students to BCU on a 2+2 basis as well as to postgraduate courses
  5. Ensure effective communications between BCU and WTU in all matters concerning the English Language operations of BIFCA and seek to resolve matters at a local level before escalating these to UK management.
  6. Lead the development and embedding of high quality English Language learning and teaching practice across BIFCA, including the development and embedding of technology enhanced learning.
  7. Be responsible for regular monitoring of students’ performance and progression on the English programme.
English Language Provision
  1. To support the Head of English to plan the teaching and learning for all the English modules.
  2. Integrate key academic skills as well as knowledge of creative subjects (Art, Design and Media) into the English language provision at BIFCA.
  3. Identify and secure the required teaching resource for the English provision.
  4. Lead, where appropriate on the implementation of University and BIFCA policies in relation to English Language compliance requirements including those relating to quality review, audit recommendations, equality issues and health and safety of staff and students.
  5. Liaise with BCU Centre for Academic Success staff in Birmingham in order to ensure the parity of language teaching learning and assessment between BIFCA and CfAS,
  6. Liaise with BCU Center for Academic Success to develop in-country pre-sessional English Language learning and testing in PR China. Ensure parity of testing standards between the test delivered in China and CfAS’s provision.
  7. Provide additional support to students in need to ensure that they reach the required level to progress.
  8. Devise in-sessional support that will be available to students at BIFCA over the period of the whole programme undertaken in China.
  9. Working closely with the BIFCA Assistant Dean, actively promote students’ progression to study in the UK through the 2+2 progression route.
  10. Be responsible for the Individual Performance Review process for all English Language Tutors working at BIFCA.
Staff management
  1. Support the Head of English to ensure successful recruitment and retention of up to 20 suitably qualified English language staff; and management of this team to ensure that required levels of English Language performance by BIFCA students are met at each stage.
  2. Identify staff development opportunities for all English Language Tutors working at BIFCA
Others
  1. Have an in-depth understanding of the UKVI regulations in terms of the English language requirements for visa purposes.
  2. Any other duties as appropriate to the role and agreed with the BIFCA Assistant Dean.

Additional Key Requirements:
Managing people and resources
Manage teams delivering English Language Teaching within BIFCA in an intercultural context with the additional challenge of bi-lingual English/Mandarin communications.
Communication
Communicate complex information to a wide variety of audiences in order to influence, achieve change where necessary and deliver results.
Produce clear written communications including reports and committee papers.
Teamwork and collaborative working
Lead teams within areas of responsibility and act to resolve conflicts within and between teams, and between BIFCA/BCU processes.
Ensure that teams within BIFCA and the wider University work effectively together.
Initiative, problem solving and decision making
Provide advice on strategic issues affecting the English Language provision within BIFCA.
Identify and drive forward opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness of BIFCA English Language functions.
Resolve problems affecting the delivery of services within area(s) managed.
Influence BIFCA decisions by providing expertise on a range of matters relating to the English Language provision and leading or participating in relevant working groups, committees and consultations
Work environment
Be aware of the risks in the work environment and their potential impact on own work and that of others. This post will involve working in Wuhan full-time.
Ensure appropriate risk management processes are operational within own areas of responsibility.
Person Specification
  • Experience in a similar transnational educational (TNE) institution outside of the UK.
  • A degree or equivalent professional qualification. Equivalence may be accepted in lieu of formal qualifications through demonstrating comparable skills and ability to:
  • Relevant profession qualification in English Language Teaching
  • Make decisions and solve problems in a complex environment.
  • Assemble, evaluate and analyse information to inform sound judgements.
  • Communicate effectively, preferably in English and Mandarin Chinese.
  • Adopt a proactive and self-managing work style.
  • A management qualification, or able to demonstrate equivalent experience
  • Experience of working in Higher Education at a management or team leadership level.
  • Experience of leading and managing operations and teams, with evidence of successfully managing change, especially in a TNE context.
  • Experience of managing and successfully delivering TNE projects to schedule, to budget and to agreed quality standards is desirable.
  • Excellent IT skills including advanced knowledge of student information systems (or similar), word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software packages, preferably Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Able to demonstrate:
  • Highly developed written and oral communication skills including the ability to write committee papers and deliver presentations.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate, persuade and influence at all levels.
  • Ability to lead, motivate, manage and develop English Language tutors.
  • Good knowledge of current issues in Higher Education, preferably including PR China
  • Excellent organisational skills and a flair for analysing and solving problems creatively, often at minimal notice.
  • Ability to instigate new and innovative approaches and facilitate team problem solving.
  • Ability to produce effective, well organised plans and measurable objectives extending over a year or more and to manage team performance against these plans.
  • A high degree of self-motivation and self-managing work style, with the ability to set goals and work independently.

Special requirements
Able to work and live full-time in Wuhan, PR China
May be required to work outside normal office hours to support University operations and events. This will require flexibility, especially at times of peak activity.
There will be some need for travel to and from the UK on an annual basis.
Expectations of all staff
Professional standards
All staff employed by BIFCA are expected to exhibit high professional standards which promote and demonstrate the University’s core values of Excellence, People Focused, Partnership Working, Fairness and Integrity.
Equal Opportunities
All staff are expected to understand and enact the University’s commitment to ensuring equality and diversity in all activities. This commitment is enshrined in the Equality Statement and core values.
Dignity at work
Every member of staff has a responsibility to ensure colleagues are treated with dignity and respect.
The University is committed to creating a work environment for all staff that is free from harassment, intimidation and any other forms of bullying at work, where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and professional courtesy.
Health and safety
The arrangements for meeting the University’s health and safety objectives are contained in the Birmingham City University Health and Safety Policy. This includes the responsibilities of key staff and procedures covering the main activities of the University.
All staff are expected to take reasonable care of themselves and those that may be affected by their actions.
Dress code
The University does not operate a formal dress code for its employees, other than for those who are provided with uniform and/or protective clothing. However, employees must ensure that their dress is professional, reasonably smart and appropriate for the situation in which they are working. All staff should ensure that they present a professional image and one that reflects sensitivity to customer perceptions. This may reflect their ethnicity and lifestyle, but should not be provocative or cause offence to those with whom they have contact.
Citizenship
All staff are expected to adhere to good citizenship, being generous with help and support to others, collaborating with colleagues and working for the benefit of the University as a whole. In particular working to provide a positive student experience and achieving excellence in all the University’s activities.
This job description indicates the expectations of staff at this level. Job descriptions are not exhaustive and you may be required to undertake other duties of a similar level and responsibility.