A chance to get to know the CHSS programme director Megan!
How long have you been working for CHSS and what do you do here?
I took over as Director of CHSS in January 2017, though I’ve been working in the University since 2002. My earlier roles were in the English Language Centre and then in the Foundation Centre, both of which are now part of the newly formed DCAD: Durham Centre for Academic Development. In both those roles I taught English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and I still retain a teaching role in DCAD alongside my CHSS Directorship. As CHSS Director I’m responsible for the overall running of the degree programme. I liaise regularly with departments who contribute modules to the programme, to make sure they understand our programme as well as possible. I chair our Management Committee and co-chair our Staff/Student Consultative Committee where students and staff come together termly to discuss the programme. I do outreach talks to prospective applicants, both at open days and other events, and I write promotional materials such as the website as well as maintaining our social media profile on Twitter and Facebook. I have strategic oversight of the direction of the programme and am developing ways to keep it competitive in the wider HE sector. Student support is another key part of my role, and I regularly meet with students and their colleges to work out solutions.
Do you have any particular subjects of interest?
My own academic background is in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, and I draw on my teaching experience to develop support workshops focusing on how academic writing is different in different disciplines. This is of course particularly useful in Combined Honours as our students need to write successfully across two, three or four subject areas.
I’m also always inspired by the Open Day talks that colleagues from other social sciences departments give to CHSS applicants at our Post Offer Visit Day in February/March. If I were to take the CHSS degree myself, I think I’d choose to combine Anthropology, Archaeology and maybe some Human Geography.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
I love meeting with and talking to our students. I have weekly office hours (10-12 on Mondays) and I really encourage students just to come along for a chat: you don’t need to have a problem to come and see me! CHSS students are so engaged and innovative, and it’s been great to develop various projects with our students and harness their enthusiasm to develop the programme. In particular, I’m really excited about our new Peer Mentor scheme which we’ve just launched this summer, and I’m hoping more students take part in the PICNIC exchange project where we have funding for CHSS to do short visits to see Combined programmes at other institutions!
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have a 9 year old, so we do a lot of Lego building, board games and baking together. In terms of my own hobbies, I sing in the Sage Gateshead Chamber Choir as well as regularly making time for Pilates and swimming. I really enjoy gardening as well – it’s very cathartic to cut things down and create order from chaos!
Where is your favourite place in Durham?
I’ve been in Durham on and off since 1996 when I started here as an undergraduate, so I know it very well by now. I think my favourite place is the riverbanks in the autumn when all the leaves change colour, probably because that was the time of year I first arrived and got to know the city.
What advice would you give for new CHSS students?
I always encourage freshers to make the most of the flexibility inherent in our programme and try a new module in a subject they’ve never done before. You might find a whole new field of study you never knew existed, and many students find that their serendipitous first year choices take them in directions they never anticipated!
I’d also encourage all the freshers to pop into my office hours in the first term sometime, just to say hi or ask a question. It’s much easier to come and ask me for help later on if we’ve had a chat about what societies you’ve joined and how cold Durham is early on in the term!
What does the 2018-9 academic year have in store for CHSS?
Our new Peer Mentor scheme really gets going, which is an exciting new development. The newly formed CH Social Society also has lots of student events taking place in 2018-19, many of which they have been kind enough to invite me and Jennifer to! I hope to see more students take advantage of the funding we have to participate in the PICNIC project, which allows CH students to visit other institutions for 1-5 days at some point in the year. Take a look at the website for more details: http://www.raise-network.com/picnic/
Thanks Megan!