We pride ourselves on our ability to provide equal educational opportunities for all undergraduate and postgraduate students, regardless of their personal background.
We promote equality in our workforce and are proud of our diversity.
We recognise the contributions of staff on all levels, whether academic, technical or administrative, to the overall success of the University.
We take great pride in all our students and we consistently aim to provide the best possible education, irrespective of your background, learning approaches or support needs.
We strive to exercise total impartiality in our admissions and assessment practices and go the extra mile in providing academic and pastoral support to our students. Each UG student is matched with an Academic Tutor for the duration of their degree. Undergraduate students are monitored and supported by our departmental undergraduate teaching co-ordinators, both of whom are available to students on a drop-in basis for five hours daily. Any student whose attendance or submission record gives cause for concern is contacted and offered support. When appropriate, students are assisted by the teaching co-ordinators to access further support within the University (from academic staff, colleges, Student Wellbeing Services etc). LAEL always strives to go above and beyond in terms of student support and our excellent retention rates reflect this.
Our department is relatively large, yet according to most recent measures our staff-student ratio is 11:1. We have had three National Teaching Fellow awards, and our staff regularly receive prizes for their teaching within the university.
We have dedicated administrative Coordinators and academic Directors of Studies for students at all levels, from first-year undergraduates to doctoral students.
We do our best to implement teaching methods that are inclusive of all our students. Staff have had training in the production of accessible training materials and we make teaching materials available on the module specific Moodle sites in advance.
We utilise a combination of teaching and assessment approaches so that we can provide the very best education for all of our students. Students with learning difficulties and disabilities are individually supported. Students who have an Inclusive Learning and Support Plan via the University’s Disabilities Service are invited to an annual meeting with the departmental Disability Advisor to ensure that the department fully understands their support needs and these are then implemented as appropriate. ILSPs are circulated to all relevant members of teaching staff by the departmental teaching co-ordinators and staff meet individually with students about particular modules as necessary. Students with specific learning disorders such as dyslexia can apply for a one-week extension on all pieces of coursework, to allow extra time for writing support and proofreading. We strive to provide creative, cutting-edge solutions to the problems that some students experience due to disabilities, such as 3-D models of diagrams for students with visual impairments.
We have consistently received excellent feedback from our students for the support they have received. Our Part II coordinator, Vicki Haslam, was recognised in the 2016-17 Student Led Teaching Awards in respect of this, winning the Student Experience Impact Award for providing support to students.
Our goal is to recruit and nurture talented research students from a broad range of backgrounds, paving the way to a diverse, inclusive and stimulating research environment. The department encourages our PhD students to run a yearly postgraduate conference, and provides some financial support.
As a successful research-intensive department, we strive to recruit the best possible postgraduate students in a professional, transparent and unbiased process.
The research staff form a strong and vibrant community in our department and play an integral role in driving the research agenda.
We encourage our researchers to take part in departmental activities of interest. We encourage researcher to take professional development opportunities so that they can achieve their career aspirations goals. The University has a Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers with a forward action plan (currently 2017-19).
We strive to recruit and retain the most qualified staff, foster inclusive and family-friendly working practices, and enable individuals to reach their full potential by providing plentiful opportunities for personal and professional development. All members of staff, whatever their level of seniority and length of service, have a mentor.
We are committed to ensuring a fair and transparent recruitment process for all our research, academic and professional support staff.
New staff joining the department receive a comprehensive induction on the workings of the department and the University in order to have the best start to their career in the Department.
We strongly support the professional and career development of our staff through teaching and learning enhancement, leadership and management training, researcher development, job skills development and personal effectiveness in work roles.
We as a department are committed to ensuring that all staff expecting a baby, or in the process of adopting a child are fully and practically supported before, during and after taking leave, enabling them to successfully manage and balance work and childcare commitments. Where possible, timetabling requests take account of the constraints of childcare and other caring responsibilities.
Our department maintains a culture that is supportive of a positive work-life balance and an enabling approach to flexible working. We have a policy of encouraging colleagues to limit work-related emails to weekdays between 8am and 6pm.
We appreciate that staff are most productive when they have achieved a work-life balance that enables them to effectively meet their responsibilities outside of work, such as caring.
