Role: Lecturer
Company: University Of Ulster
Track Record:
What does your job entail?
My job involves lecturing, research and administration. I teach across all four years of the integrated Masters in planning and property development degree programme as well as our newly established, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma and Masters on marine spatial planning.
I also teach sustainability, planning law, environmental impact of land and property development – but my job extends far beyond the lecture theatre.
There’s the preparation of lecture materials, setting and marking assessments and examinations, preparing for the Exam Board and attending team meetings with staff and students.
I also work very closely on our course delivery and validation with my planning team at the School of the Built Environment, external planning professionals and the professional bodies of the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
We regularly update our degree to reflect the needs of the market and to ensure that our graduates are well equipped with the skills and attributes they need for their employability.
I’m also involved in organising careers events, marketing the degree by attending open days on and off campus, and organising research seminars and study visits.
Pastoral and supervisory care of students is a large part of my job and something I particularly enjoy.
My research and administration work mainly takes place when the students are on holiday. That’s when I write grant proposals, prepare for and travel to conferences, write papers, academic journals and arrange exchanges.
Is it 9-5?
I try to keep it that way but it’s more like 8-6 during the semester – and we don’t get the same lengthy holidays as the students!
How did you get into this line of work?
I had intended on training as a solicitor and after graduating with a law degree in 2004 I joined a local practice and was working in conveyancing,
However, house deeds, restrictive covenants and adverse possession were not part of the fast paced criminal drama I’d envisaged.
In 2006 I went back to university to pursue my secret obsession with maps and planning applications and embarked on a one-year Master’s conversion degree in environmental planning.
Outline your career to date?
I joined the University of Ulster on a research contract in September 2009 as a lecturer in spatial planning and energy policy and my project involved investigating land use planning for energy storage on the island of Ireland.
When this was completed I became a full time lecturer and was given more responsibility in teaching across all four years of our degree programme.
Tell us about qualifications/training
I have A-levels in Latin, French and English, an LLB English law degree from the University of Dundee, a Masters in environmental planning and a PhD in marine spatial planning, both from Queen’s University in Belfast.
I’m currently working towards my APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) for chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
In terms of training for teaching in Ulster, all new lecturers are required to undertake the Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (PGCHEP) and I am currently completing my last module.
We are also offered lots of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training which keeps me up to date with the latest technology and teaching methods.
What qualities are required for your job – personal and professional?
Knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm for your subject area are absolutely vital, as well as good oral and written communication skills.
As I teach quite a lot of legal material it’s important to be able to take a complex legal scenario and put it into a real life scenario so students understand it more clearly.
It’s also important to provide students with critical and appropriate feedback on their class and course work performance. Compassion and understanding are important qualities, especially for dealing with students on a one to one basis.
What are the biggest challenges and rewards of your work?
Prioritising tasks – there’s so much to be done in one day and it’s often difficult to balance teaching, administration and finding time to carry on with research.
I never sit still, yet I love the buzz of the university during term time. One of the challenges I enjoy is keeping students active and engaged during lectures. The biggest reward is seeing them walk across the stage on graduation day.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m a keen runner and a member of Ballydrain Harriers, where I sit on the committee as the welfare officer and write articles for the local papers.
I enjoy taking part in races competitions and have recently discovered the joys of cross-country. I’m also a fully warranted Rainbow Guide Leader for the local unit.
As I’m currently finalising wedding plans and building a house my weekends are quite chaotic.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself
Last May I completed the Belfast marathon – my first ever – and I’m quietly contemplating another later on this year.
Who has inspired you most in your life?
My sister Julia and my best friend Rick; my A-Level French and Latin Teacher, Jim Peden from Regent House Grammar School; my PhD supervisor, Professor Geraint Ellis at Queen’s University.