ECRI are pleased to open applications for a Student Programme Partner (SPP) to help improve the support available to student parents and carers at Imperial. The opportunity is open to Doctoral students (PhD, MPhil, MD[Res], EngD) with lived experience of being a student parent and/or carer whilst at Imperial or another previous institution.
The Role
This exciting developmental opportunity will give you the chance to work with ECRI and Student Services to:
- Review Imperial policies and regulations which impact student parents and carers and make recommendations for how these could be improved.
- Review Imperial’s support for staff who are parents and carers and make recommendations for how these could be replicated/offered/shared with student parents and carers.
- Establish and Chair a new Student Parent and Carers Committee which will organise and deliver networking and other activities to support this community of students.
- Assist with the recruitment of the Student Parent and Carers Committee.
- Recommend improvements to the ECRI and University websites to improve the visibility of support available to student parents and carers.
The appointment will run for 12 months, starting in January 2025. A bursary top-up of £1,000 per annum is attached to this development opportunity (10 monthly payments of £100 over the course of the year).
The successful candidate would be expected to dedicate 6 hours a month to work related to the network. There is flexibility attached to the role in terms of how, when and where this work takes place.
Please feel free to contact Bethan Ritchie if you have any questions regarding expectations around the role.
About the Student Parent and Carers Network
The Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI), Student Services and the Students’ Union have partnered together to establish a Student Parent and Carers Network. The Network is open to any Imperial student (undergraduate, Master’s or Research student) who is a parent, expectant parent or who cares for others.
There is a dedicated Teams Channel, which is a space to connect with others in the network, to ask questions and share knowledge and ideas. Staff who lead service areas which have a role in supporting student parents and carers are also members of this Group. For more information, please visit the website.
Background
The conversation around widening participation at higher education institutions (HEIs) is increasing, however unlike many cohorts attending university who commonly sit within this agenda, student parents and carers are not considered by the Office for Students to be an underrepresented group. They are not, therefore, required to feature in institutional Access & Participation Plans, which means that the needs of this group frequently go undetected by their departments and institutions.
Since most universities are not set up to support students with dependents, once on campus, student parents face many challenges due to the way HEI’s are structured and the policies in place e.g. lack of on-site childcare facilities, timetabling, and late/early scheduling of activities.
In light of the evidence above, ECRI has been awarded funding to help strengthen provision and resources for this group of students.
How to Apply
Students wishing to apply for this opportunity should complete the online application form.
The application deadline is Friday 31st January 2025.
Any additional queries, please contact the Manager of ECRI Administration, Bethan Ritchie.