Graduate Teaching Scholarship
The Graduate Teaching Scholarship (GTS) supports postgraduate researchers on the PhD programme in York in the Department, and provides teaching experience that will help them pursue an academic career.
The Department of Philosophy wishes to award at least two Graduate Teaching Scholarship (GTS) to support a student taking a postgraduate research degree in the Department. It will help to provide teaching experience for a student intending to pursue an academic career.
Alongside your own research, you will teach and examine first-year undergraduates under the supervision of experienced academics, gaining relevant experience for an academic career, whilst also financially supporting your studies. There may be additional opportunities, such as marking second-year undergraduates' work or undertaking further learning in your desired research area.
Training in seminar and tutorial work is provided by the University, and practical support and mentoring is given by the Department—this includes an annual ‘away day’ at the start of the Autumn 2023 semester for all its teaching assistants. This offers an opportunity to reflect on best practice and develop teaching and supervisory skills.
If you have not already applied to the Department’s research postgraduate programme, then you must do so separately before the closing date for this scholarship. Our staff have an unusually wide range of research interests - you can read more about them on our website.
Job description
You will be expected to maintain satisfactory progress on your PhD research whilst undertaking the following duties:
- Teach on average four to six hours of seminars per week during term-time. This teaching will normally be delivered to first-year undergraduates.
- Teach on several first-year modules. The current list of first-year modules includes: Early Modern Philosophy, Ethics, Metaphysics, Ancient Philosophy, Reason and Argument (elementary logic and some philosophy of language), and Knowledge and Perception.
- Record student attendance and report unexcused absences to the student’s supervisor and the Director of the First Year Programme, in accordance with the Department's policy.
- Keep an office hour during term-time to meet with students.
- Respond to email and other queries from students or staff in an appropriate and timely fashion.
- Provide appropriate and timely feedback on work produced by students in his or her seminar and tutorial groups, in writing and in one-to-one tutorials.
- Mark the work produced by students in his or her groups in line with the Department's marking criteria by the specified deadlines, and assist in moderating marks.
- Assist in the marking of Beginning Philosophy essays during the Easter break.
- Attend confidential meetings to discuss and monitor the academic progress of individual students.
- Attend training and other meetings as reasonably required by the University and the Department.
Open to International (including EU) and UK (home) students.
Open to students in the Department of Philosophy.
The Department of Philosophy at the University of York will consider awarding up to two Graduate Teaching Scholarships (GTS) to exceptional candidates, supporting postgraduate researchers on the PhD programme in York in the Department, and providing teaching experience for those intending to pursue an academic career.
This scholarship is to support a full-time postgraduate PhD researcher at York. Any potential candidate who has not already applied to the Department’s PhD in York programme must do so separately before the closing date for the scholarship. Members of the Department have an unusually wide range of research interests.
To be considered for interview, applicants should have received an offer on the PhD in York programme prior to the application closing date.
The holder of this scholarship must be enrolled for the PhD in York degree (i.e. not PhD by Distance Learning) in the Department of Philosophy.
We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University.
Person specification
Essential
- Enrolled full time for a research degree in the Department of Philosophy at York
- Masters or Bachelors degree with a substantial Philosophy element
- Able to lead a seminar group effectively, and give clear explanations of difficult material
- Able to maintain confidentiality
- Able to work independently with minimum supervision
- Able to follow instructions from module leaders, and to stick to a module plan
- Able to work well in a team, treating other academic and support staff in open and respectful ways
- Reliable, with good time-keeping
- Knowledge of at least three areas covered by first-year modules, and the willingness to develop knowledge of unfamiliar areas of philosophy
- Committed to teaching philosophy, and with the potential to succeed in an academic career
Desirable
- Previous experience of teaching
- Previous experience of assessment
- Knowledge of the areas covered by more than three first-year modules
- Research expertise in one or more areas covered by first-year modules
Application deadline: Friday 14 July 2023, 11.59pm BST
To apply, please email philosophy-postgrad
You will also need two referees to email over a character reference for you to philosophy-postgrad
If your application is successful, you will be invited to an interview before the end of July (subject to confirmation). Prior to your interview, you will be sent a philosophical idea or passage from a philosophical text, and asked to deliver a short presentation explaining it. Successful candidates will receive more information about the interview closer to the date.
The teaching income is 0.4fte of Grade 5.1 (currently £29,762 fte) for up to 7 semesters (currently £4,464 per semester). There will also be a stipend payment of £2500 p.a. to cover the 3 months with no teaching. There is a fee waiver at the home rate. Your continuation fee going into your writing-up period will also be paid by the Department (current value £390).
The scholarships will start at the beginning of the 2023/24 academic year and, subject to satisfactory performance as a teaching assistant and satisfactory academic progress. It will last for up to 7 semesters (but not beyond the thesis submission date, or at most the end of the September immediately following submission of a PhD thesis).
You will also be required to complete training in seminar teaching and marking (delivered by York’s Researcher Development Team) at the earliest opportunity, and to participate in the training offered within the department (this will include an away day in York in late September).