Facilitator I Professional Support (P8) (Academic Development & Support Division: Academic Development Centre) at University of Johannesburg

 
Responsibilities: The P8 Facilitator I: Reading and Mentoring Facilitator will have the main responsibilities: 

• To design, facilitate and roll out a variety of learning and reading development strategies (SQ4R, IPSO, ASPIRE etc) focusing on UJ amongst others reading development as part of reading in the discipline (RID).
• To develop online materials and online course contents (study skills, time management, exam writing skills, literacy related skills etc.) for undergraduate and Postgraduate (honours) students.
• To be involved in teaching and implementing the reading development strategy and learning development workshops designed for UJ undergraduate students within the academic advisory, inclusive of senior student experience (SSE) and First Year Experience (FYE) context. 
• To initiate and strengthen relationships with various faculty representatives, liaise with internal and external Stakeholders and contribute towards the SSE agenda.
• To integrate study skills into discipline based and create course content materials in a subject driven approach.
• To undertake reading development related research and keep up-to-date reading development best practice. 
• To initiate, coordinate,  and implement the UJ reading in the discipline strategy in various faculties.
• Recruitment, selection and appointment of mentors as part of the UJ mentoring programme.
• Working as a member of the UJ mentoring team withing ADC.
• Monitoring the student mentoring programme’s implementation at UJ.
• Managing the system of allocating mentors and mentees to each other.
• Developing and offering customised mentor training materials.
• Developing and offering a mentoring curriculum and activity menu for mentors to use.
• Training and supporting senior mentors and Faculty mentor coordinators in their roles.
• Identify and intervene in problems that occur within the UJ mentoring system.
• Monitor and evaluate the mentoring system at UJ.
• Research mentoring at UJ and produce academic articles about its implementation and effectiveness.
• Research the mentoring system at UJ as well as investigate it’s impact on student success.
• Report back on the mentoring system at UJ.

Minimum requirements

• An appropriate Master’s degree
• 2-5 Years of Higher Education experience
• The proven ability to manage groups of students to achieve a specific goal
• The proven ability to develop and offer student training material
• A sound knowledge of academic skills development theory and practice
• A sound understanding of issues faced by students entering Higher Education in South Africa 
• Proof of conducting research in the field of learning/reading development or Academic development 

Recommendations:

• A relevant PhD
• Knowledge about mentoring in HE
• Sound understanding of LSP with focus on reading in the discipline 

Competencies and Behavioural Attributes:

• Excellent communication skills
• The ability to work with both students and staff.
• The ability to work as a member of a team.
• Possess reading and writing experience within Higher Education