Expectations and Responsibilities for Graduate School Programme Leaders collaborating with Student Programme Partners (SPP)

Student Programme Partners (SPP) are doctoral students who engage with the Graduate School to represent their peers and to help shape the professional development provision offered to master’s students and doctoral researchers at Imperial. The SPP scheme is designed to increase student engagement and representation at all levels of our provision. Students participate in this scheme as a development opportunity and they are funded by a bursary. The scheme is managed through the StudentShapers initiative.

Note:  This roles and responsibilities document is intended to provide clarity around how to work with Student Programme Partners.  Programme Leaders should also follow the Graduate School procedures for the approval and review of new and existing professional development courses.

Summary of duties:

Graduate School Programme Leaders will collaborate with SPPs in the following areas:

• Co-commission: to co-commission the programme - identifying gaps in provision, looking at priorities, reviewing existing provision, helping to develop business cases for new provision and advising on the removal of existing courses, where appropriate.
• Develop business cases for new provision and advising on the removal of existing courses, where appropriate. 
• Co-design: to co-design courses – designing course material, workshops and other associated workshop and teaching activities.  The SPP will be expected to consult with peers to seek further ideas and input. The level of contribution to the co-design would depend on the level of expertise of the SPP and time they have available.
• Co-assess: to co-assess the programme as part of the annual programme review and to make recommendations for changes to the programme. Note: student feedback on individual tutors will not form part of the material reviewed by SPPs.
• Co-lead: to co-lead on the recruitment of and handover to SPP successors.
• Manage poor performance and termination of appointment of Student Programme Partners, should it be necessary (note guidance on this process will be provided).

Recruitment

• Review expressions of interest and appoint a SPP in consultation with the Head of Postgraduate Professional Development. Informal interviews might be necessary

Key Responsibilities:

The key responsibility of a programme leader is to support the SPP in their development opportunity by:

• Arranging regular meetings with their SPP.
• Support the SPP’s development and their application for Associate Fellowship of the HEA / AdvanceHE (if applicable).
• Arranging for the SPP to attend meetings of the Course Quality and Strategic Development committee (CQSD), when relevant.

Additional Opportunities for SPPs - Support

There is also the additional opportunity to co-deliver courses.  This is paid at the casual worker rate and is in addition to the bursary scheme.

• Co-delivery: to co-deliver typically 4 workshops (in part or in full, depending on the expertise of the SPP). Student Programme Partners would be paid for their teaching in line with GTA teaching rates.
  • Further information on employment as a GTA.
  •  GTAs must register with the College as Casual Workers. N.B: GTAs who hold a Tier 4 visa must also complete a Tier 4 declaration form.

This document can be downloaded as a Pdf. here - GS Programme Leader - Roles & Responsibilities.Pdf