Associate Vice-President for Education (AVPE)/Director of Graduate School

Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University

Introduction and Background 

In 2021, given the University’s continued expansion and success, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University established two academic leadership roles: Associate Vice-President for Education (AVPE) and Associate Vice-President for Research and Impact (AVP-R&I). The essential rationale for creating these roles is to strengthen strategic leadership in the broad area of academic affairs by increasing the level of strategic responsibility for each. 

The AVPE works closely with the VPAA, and with the Associate Deans for Learning and Teaching as well as Directors of ERDI, in the formulation and implementation of academic strategy across the University. In particular, the AVPE leads on the strategic development of academic portfolios and educational practices for all disciplines in necessary consultation with internal and external stakeholders. There will be an emphasis, inter alia, on excellence in the student experience, learning, teaching, assessment, quality assurance, technology-enhanced innovation and synergetic forms of ecology ensuring the influential sharing of good practices. 

The Academic Director of XJTLU Graduate School is responsible for the initiation and development of policies, procedures and practices that shape a thriving community of postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers at XJTLU. The Director is a committed advocate of the needs of the postgraduate and postdoctoral community, both academically and pastorally, and plays a prominent role in supporting the academic mission of the University and broadening the University’s participation in higher education leading to a more diverse and inclusive scholarly community. The Director works closely with academic units and coordinates actively with various central administrative units on student and programme matters at the postgraduate level. 

The University now seeks to appoint a senior academic leader to take on the roles of Associate Vice President for Education and Academic Director of Graduate School. It is envisaged that the person in the post would normally already be a full Professor with ideally, a minimum of two years’ relevant experience in cross-campus strategic leadership and an appropriate background in developing and implementing institutional strategies. This is a demanding role at a moment of dynamic expansion for XJTLU. 

The post holder as AVPE/Director of XGS will be appointed to a three-year term of office and will report to the Vice President Academic Affairs. There will be an allowance paid to those holding the AVPE/Director position. The post holder will be a member of the SMT, and will also identify chairs for relevant committees as appropriate, sometimes acting as deputy for the VPAA. The role descriptions are outlined below. 

Accountabilities and Responsibilities 

As Associate Vice-President for Education: 

• Serve as a member of the extended Senior Management Team, Academic Board, Academic Management Group and XJTLU-UoL Joint Liaison Group;
• Chair of the University Learning and Teaching Committee, University Board of Examiners, Mitigating Circumstances Committee, Student Board of Discipline and Assessment Appeals Panel;
• In full collaboration with the VPAA, ensure the development and delivery of the academic strategy, goals and targets for the University in relation to the Leadership Agenda and XJTLU Education Models across multiple locations;
• Provide academic leadership in continual educational development and innovation for all subject areas, liaising as appropriate with Academy of Future Education, UoL and other relevant stakeholders;
• Oversee the updating and implementation of the University Education Strategy 2026  as well as the Academic Programme Development and Management Strategy together with localised implementation and strategy formulation;
• Monitor and develop all education-related University policies and procedures to ensure currency at all times that is appropriately benchmarked in local and global contexts;
• Provide leadership on quality assurance issues and academic standards in all areas of academic activity with appropriate alignments to DoE, MoE, UoL, QAA, and all external accreditation requirements;
• Ensure the student experience is demonstrably excellent in student perception and evaluations as well as transformational and continually enhanced;
• Oversee the dynamic and globally benchmarked strategic development of existing and new degree programmes both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
• Advise academic units and related administrative support teams regarding matters requiring strategic and/or academic judgement plus decision-making for all academic provision;
• Develop strategies to promote sustainability, resilience, emotional intelligence and the well-being of staff and students in relation to educational demands;
• Build dynamic and effective relationships with external parties such as government, business partners, educational organisations and authorities and professional accreditation bodies where there is an important relevance for education;
• Encourage the growth of technology-enhanced learning and teaching, teaching-led scholarship and research plus applications for external funding geared towards the expansion of pedagogical research;
• Other duties as may be required by the VPAA. 

As Academic Director of Graduate School: 

1. Advise the VP Academic Affairs on the strategic development of master’s programmes;
2. Oversee the updating and implementation of the XJTLU Postgraduate Education Strategic Plantogether with localised implementation and strategy formulation;
3. Chair the University Postgraduate Research Sub-committee;
4. Work closely with Associate Vice-President for Research and Impact and academic units to develop robust and innovative recruitment strategies for postgraduate research students and postdoctoral researchers, and to identify attractive areas of research and potential markets;
5. Promote XJTLU internationally as a thriving, vibrant and exciting environment for postgraduate and postdoctoral students and researchers;
6. Work closely with the Centre for Student Affairs to develop robust and innovative recruitment strategies for master’s students;
7. Maintain oversight of the recruitment of postdoctoral researchers, and the affairs of the XJTLU Postdoctoral Recruitment Station;
8. Foster a dynamic and engaging research culture and community at XJTLU;
9. Initiate, plan and implement regulations, policies, rules and guidelines relating to postgraduate education;
10. Develop comprehensive and effective training programmes for PGR students, supervisors and early career researchers;
11. Communicate and liaise with the Liverpool Doctoral College, Schools and Faculties and related academic and administrative units at the University of Liverpool on postgraduate matters;
12. Maintain oversight of the award of scholarships to postgraduate taught and research students
13. Mediate in disputes between students and supervisors

Invitations are invited for suitably qualified candidates to apply for this position. Please send your CV plus a covering statement of up to 1500 words, explaining your experience and how you meet the expectations of the post to Ms. Zhi Yang (HR contact) via Zhi.Yang@xjtlu.edu.cn by 5pm on 20th February 2023. Interviews will be held shortly after this and there will be an organised handover, as appropriate, with the current AVPE/Director of Graduate School in anticipation of early March 2023 as start date. 

Informal enquiries about the role can be made to the Interim Vice President Academic Affairs.