Parliament and Politics Lecturer
Hansard Scholars Programme, Hansard Society
The Hansard Society is an independent, non-partisan political research and education
Society. Founded in 1944, we are a charity working in the UK and around the world to
promote democracy and strengthen parliaments.
Hansard Scholars is a full-time programme split equally between study and an internship
that offers international students the opportunity to gain academic and practical
knowledge of the British political system and current debates in UK public policy.
The Scholars Programme is seeking to appoint a lecturer to teach its undergraduate British
politics course, called Parliament and Politics. The course examines the context,
procedures and politics of British parliamentary democracy. Classes are typically a mixture
of lecture and seminar, with an emphasis on lectures. Students should gain from the
course:
•
a knowledge of British political institutions and the evolution of the British
constitution;
•
an insight into parliamentary practice and procedure;
•
an awareness of the interaction between Parliament and other institutions and
bodies;
•
familiarity with political science approaches to the study of British politics;
•
an appreciation of current debates and controversies in British politics.
Students also take a course in Politics and Public Policy.
Most of the students on the course are highly qualified American undergraduates but do
not all have an extensive academic background in British politics.
Programme and course structure:
•
The course is part-time; teaching normally takes place once a week, usually on
Mondays and occasionally on Fridays, though there is sometimes the need to vary
this schedule in the Autumn term;
•
The Autumn and Spring programmes are 14 weeks each, Autumn is mid-September
– mid December and Spring is mid-January – late April; teaching normally spans 12
of these 14 weeks though again, with the possibility of some variation in the
Autumn;
•
There is an eight week Summer programme from late May – late July; a variation
of the Parliament & Politics course is integrated into a two part team-taught course;
teaching normally takes place over six of these eight weeks;
•
Classes are held on the campus of the London School of Economics & Political
Science (LSE), Aldwych, Central London.
The lecturer is responsible for preparation, teaching and marking. On the Autumn and
Spring programmes, the lecturer must mark a short essay and written examination for each
student, and supervise and mark 7000 word dissertations for half the cohort. On the
Summer programme, the lecturer must mark a short essay and written examination for
each student. Marks are based on the UK grading scale. Examinations and dissertations are
externally marked by an LSE faculty member. The lecturer must also hold office hours,
normally for 30 minutes after each class in the LSE classroom. Cohorts range in size from
approximately 10 – 28.
The Hansard Scholars Programme is subject to educational oversight by the Quality
Assurance Agency (QAA) and lecturers are required from time-to-time to participate in
QAA review processes.
To apply, please send a CV and covering letter setting out how you meet the criteria
detailed in the accompanying person specification to Lisa George, Director, Study &
Scholars Programme at recruitment@hansardsociety.org.uk. All applicants may request a
course syllabus and the Programme’s academic guidelines which detail all academic
policies and procedures; short-listed applicants will automatically be sent a course syllabus
and academic guidelines. For more information about the Hansard Society and the
Hansard Scholars Programme, please visit our website:
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/studyandscholars.
Closing dates for submission of CVs and cover letters: 14th July 2014.
Interviews will take place at the Hansard Society office, 9 King Street, London EC2V 8EA:
22nd and 23rd July 2014.
The successful candidate must be ready to begin teaching the week commencing 8th
September 2014.
Person Specification
Hansard Scholars Programme Parliament & Politics Lecturer
Essential Criteria
•
A relevant PhD in political science or a closely related discipline;
•
Demonstrable evidence of ability to deliver high quality teaching at the undergraduate
level
•
Extensive knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of the British Parliament structure, process and procedures;
•
Familiarity with, and ability to use, Moodle or other Virtual Learning Environment;
•
Strong organisational and course administration skills; accurate register-keeping and
ability to turn marks around quickly at the end of each term;
•
Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, particularly Excel.
•
Demonstrable evidence of ability to work collaboratively and with adaptability and
flexibility as part of a team, sometimes from a distance.
Desirable Criteria
•
Knowledge of US higher education system;
•
Experience teaching US university/college students and/or understanding of the US
study abroad sector;
•
Experience teaching or working with international students;
•
Experience of supervising and marking dissertations;
•
Conceptual and practical understanding of “internships” or work experience
placements, ability to help scholars link their work in their political internships with
academic theory;
•
Demonstrated evidence of creative approaches to teaching through the application of
multi-media technology and other learning aids.
Additional Information
Employment is on a per term basis, Autumn 2014, Spring 2015 and Summer 2015, with a
view to long term engagement. Classes are held on the London School of Economics
campus in Aldwych/Holborn, WC2, Central London.
The salary scale for this post is £2940. per Autumn and Spring term based on 7 hours/week
for 14 weeks at £30./hour and £1680. per summer term based on 7 hours/week for 8
weeks at £30./hour. Following a 6 week probationary period, the post-holder will be
entitled to a 7% non-contributory pension.