Racially Minoritised Student Advocates – Students as Change Agents Project

Details


1089327


University of Nottingham


21/11/2024


Other - See Job


To be arranged with the hiring manager. 32 hours per week per worker


Casual

Pay


-


-

Description

Role

The Racially Minoritised Student Advocate roles aim to provide representation and advocacy on behalf of students from an ethnic background. You will work as part of a team of student advocates representing all year groups and degrees in the School of Life Sciences. As an advocate, you will serve as an intermediary, promoting the views and choices of racially minoritised students, fostering a support network and working closely with fellow students and staff to identify barriers faced by students and, subsequently, appropriate activities to mitigate them. At the end of the project, advocates will be expected to submit an action plan with recommendations based on students’ feedback and an impact report evaluating their experience.

Start Date: Early December 2024

End Date: 9th March 2025

Working Hours: To be arranged with the hiring manager - 32 hours per week per worker

Pay Rate: £12.50 p/h

Holiday Pay: £1.51 p/h

Number of positions available: 6 in total

Location: Predominantly working from home with some travel to Uni Park Campus

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Dress Code: Casual

Duties and responsibilities

Engage with Student Peers 

  • Actively engage with racially minoritised students to understand their experiences and concerns.
  • Collaborate with student peers to co-design and develop interventions that promote inclusion and a sense of belonging.
  • Encourage student participation in initiatives that enhance academic performance and personal aspirations
Build Support Networks
  • Establish and maintain peer support networks for racially minoritised students.
  • Create safe spaces for discussion of challenges and experiences related to race and identity.
Advocate for Student Needs
  • Act as a voice for racially minoritised students, advocating for their needs, concerns, and perspectives in formal and informal settings.
  • Ensure that the interests of racially minoritised students are consistently represented in institutional decision-making processes.
Promote Initiatives targeted towards racially minoritised students
  • Promote and raise awareness of existing university activities, support schemes, and services aimed at enhancing sense of belonging, aspiration and academic performance.
  • Encourage racially minoritised students to participate in academic and extracurricular programs that promote success and well-being.
Develop and Implement Interventions
  • Identify targeted interventions aimed at enhancing the overall academic performance of racially minoritised students.
  • Work alongside staff and students to develop new projects or activities that promote an inclusive and supportive educational environment.
Represent Students in EDI and Teaching Committees
  • Attend EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) and Teaching committee meetings as a representative of racially minoritised students. 
  • Provide feedback, insights, and recommendations to inform decision-making on policies, strategies, and activities that impact racially minoritised students.
Contribute to Feedback and Reporting 
  • Participate in feedback meetings with the Director of Teaching and programme/degree leads to discuss challenges, achievements, and recommendations for improving the student experience.
Foster Collaboration and Awareness 
  • Encourage collaboration between different student groups and departments to foster a more inclusive community.
  • Promote awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by racially minoritised students to the broader school community.

Skills and experience

You will not need any formal skills, knowledge or experience as full training will be given. However, we are looking for students that demonstrate the following core competencies:

  • Must be a current Life Sciences student
  • Effective communication with a diverse student body, fostering inclusivity in representing racially minoritised student voices.
  • Cultural awareness and sensitivity to understand and respect diverse perspectives.
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for managing tasks and supporting initiatives.
  • Empathy and approachability to create a safe space for students to share experiences and challenges.
  • Collaborative mindset for working in diverse groups to promote inclusive discussions and solutions.
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking to identify issues and propose meaningful interventions.
  • Good time management and reliability to ensure commitments are met on time.
  • Willingness to learn and engage in training to enhance advocacy skills.
What you can expect to gain during this role:
  • Representing and/or supporting others to achieve positive outcomes (advocacy)
  • Research skills
  • Data and feedback collation and presentation
  • General communication skills
  • Insight into higher education systems and processes
  • Self-reflection

Location
Predominantly working from home with some travel to Uni Park Campus

How to apply

Please apply for this role here: Visit the Application Form to apply.

Ensure that you demonstrate how you meet the requirements outlined above in your written application. You will always need to tailor your application to the role you are applying for.  Applications may close early if a suitable candidate is found, so apply early to avoid disappointment. 

Unitemps at the University of Nottingham are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, and we welcome applications from students who reflect the diversity of our communities.  If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process on account of a disability or other health-related condition, please contact the team at unitemps@nottingham.ac.uk. To hear about our other roles, please register online at https://portal.unitemps.com/register/candidate and sign up to emailed job alerts. 

This is a Unitemps role at UoN. By applying for this role, you are agreeing to Unitemps sharing your application information with the recruiter for this role. Your details will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice which can be found on our website. If your application is successful, you will need to complete an eligibility to work check with the Unitemps team at UoN prior to commencing work.