The University of West London (UWL) is one of the top 40 universities in the UK and the top modern university in London according to the influential Guardian University Guide 2021*.
We were also named University of the Year for Student Experience in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021, being described by the editor as “regularly among the top-performing universities”.
https://www.uwl.ac.uk/about-us
The School
The School of Human and Social Sciences has recently expanded its disciplinary coverage and now delivers a portfolio of education, research and enterprise activity across psychology, criminology, education & early years, forensic science, addiction studies, nutritional therapy, and politics & international relations. Our forecast revenue in 2021/22 is £12.3m.
Our course portfolio leads to awards from foundation level to taught postgraduate and research degrees (including professional doctorates). It reflects a long-standing, institutional commitment to inclusion: most taught courses offer a September and a February intake, while UG courses are accessible via a broad-based foundation year. In 2021/22 we have 1800 students (1350 FTE). We also validate a small number of UG and PG courses delivered internationally.
Offering a high-quality student experience is of paramount importance to us and we have an excellent reputation for student-centred education. In the 2021 NSS we were rated first in London for overall satisfaction in education. We are second in London for forensic science in the 2022 Complete University Guide and fourth in London for psychology in the 2022 Guardian league table. The Guardian also ranks us top nationally for value added in forensic science. Our courses are accredited or recognised by professional bodies such as Addiction Professionals, the British Psychological Society, the Chartered Society of Forensic Science and the Nutritional Therapy Education Commission. Our activities in psychology benefit from facilities such as an EEG, eye-tracker, biopacs, VR headsets, an observation lab and a forensic investigation lab.
The curriculum across our course portfolio is underpinned by our developing research and enterprise profile. Most of our academic staff are research active, contributing to submissions to four units of assessment in REF 2021 and contributing to one of the most significant improvements in GPA of any HE institution. In 2021/22 we forecast contract revenue of nearly £550k from business, charities (e.g. the Woodward Charitable Trust), local authorities (e.g. the Office of the Mayor of London) and national government (e.g. the Home Office).
The Role
To support our exciting development and growth aspirations for psychology, we are looking to strengthen our academic staffing through the appointment, first, of a Head of Subject for Psychological Sciences (psychology and addiction studies) and, second, to several junior and senior academic posts within psychology.
For the Head of Subject, we are looking for an individual to provide academic leadership and management across psychology and addiction studies, focusing on developing and resourcing academic activity with a particular emphasis on quality assurance and enhancement of the student experience.
The Person
This is an exciting opportunity for suitably qualified and experienced candidates who hold a PhD in psychology and have a track record in research and relevant HE curriculum development and delivery experience in line with the seniority of the appointment. Candidates are expected to be able to work flexibly and as part of a team and to be prepared to support students in reaching their full potential.