What is the Academic Office?

The Academic Office deals with all the College’s academic administration, covering undergraduates, postgraduates, Fellows and lecturers, and is managed by the Senior Tutor. We look after every aspect of a student’s academic career at the College. One way of thinking of us is as the College’s ‘Academic Student Services’.

Who works in the Academic Office and what do we do for students?

Altogether we are a team of six people (Senior Tutor / Academic Services Manager / Administrative Assistant / Graduate Administrator / Admissions Officer / Schools Liaison Officer), and an outline of our work with students follows.

Where is the Academic Office?

The office is located in the front quad on staircase III, on the first floor.

When is the office open to students?

Monday – Friday, 9.30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 – 4 p.m. Please observe these hours. However, if you have an emergency, and staff are in the office, do come in and explain, and we will do our best to help.

How do I contact the Academic Office?

During the opening hours, you are welcome to drop in, or make an appointment, by phoning or emailing us as shown below. If you are not sure who will deal with your enquiry, please ring the Administrative Assistant, Jenny Holden, on 2-79724 or send her an email at tutorial.administrator@jesus.ox.ac.uk, and we will ensure your enquiry gets to the right person.

Dr Alexandra Lumbers, Senior Tutor

Tel. 2-79719

Email senior.tutor@jesus.ox.ac.uk

The Senior Tutor has overall responsibility for the academic administration of the College, and oversees the Academic Office team. She is concerned with students’ academic progress, ensuring the delivery of high-quality teaching, rewarding excellence through scholarships and prizes, and dealing with any difficulties students may encounter. She has a welfare responsibility for students in conjunction with that of subject tutors, and the other members of the College’s welfare support network. The Senior Tutor is also concerned with academic discipline in College. She acts as Tutor for Graduates, and graduates may consult her on any matter to do with College provision for graduates, or on matters relating to their academic progress. She is also Tutor for Admissions (both undergraduate and postgraduate).

Profile:  Dr Alexandra Lumbers read History as an undergraduate at the University of Southampton, followed by an MA in Historical Studies. She then undertook a DPhil in early-modern British History at Brasenose College, University of Oxford. On completing her doctorate in 2005 she lectured at Keble College, Oxford, before moving to St Peter's College, Oxford, to take up the post of Deputy Registrar. She was then appointed as Research Facilitator in the Humanities Division and subsequently as Senior Development Officer for Humanities. She joined Jesus College in May 2009 to take up the full-time position of Senior Tutor, which also incorporates the roles of Tutor for Admissions and Tutor for Graduates.

Sarah Jones, Academic Services Manager

Tel. 2-79720

Email sarah.jones@jesus.ox.ac.uk

Students: The Academic Services Manager can advise on a range of matters through an undergraduate’s student life-cycle, from induction arrangements at the start of Michaelmas Term of the first-year, to initial advice if a student wishes to change course. She can provide advice on hardship or receiving a bursary from the College or University, and explain where to find help for financial difficulties. She organises exam support for students with special needs or other difficulties, as well as support for academic special needs and disabilities in general. She is a member of the Student Welfare Committee.

Fellows and lecturers: The Academic Services Manager assists the Senior Tutor with academic recruitment, the running of College's Academic Committee, and manages external tuition payments for termly teaching.

Profile: Sarah Jones studied Archaeology & Ancient History at Nottingham and Museum Studies at Leicester, and is currently studying psychology at the Open University. After university she spent a year working in the Conservation Department at the Australian Museum, Sydney, and then worked in London managing art events and academic administration at a central London institute for adult education, and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Jenny Holden, Administrative Assistant

Tel. 2-79724

Email jenny.holden@jesus.ox.ac.uk

The Administrative Assistant deals with most routine undergraduate administration, such as beginning of term collections, principal's collections, vacation grants, and book prizes. She serves as the Academic Office's receptionist and also deals with passport scanning for students studying here on a visa and the Fellows and Lecturers' Book Grant Scheme.

Profile: Jenny Holden studied at the University of Warwick, completing her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing in 2007, and graduating in 2008 with an MA in Writing. After spending some time abroad she moved to Oxford in 2009 and worked for a year for Oxfordshire County Council, before joining the Academic Office in 2010. A writer in her spare time, she has had short stories published in various literary magazines and has placed in competitions. She is currently working on her first novel, and other hobbies include playing the piano and violin, walking and cooking.

Mrs Carole Thomas, Graduate Administrator

Tel. 2-79723

Email carole.thomas@jesus.ox.ac.uk

The Graduate Administrator looks after all graduates, starting from when they have accepted an offer to study at the College. She is the contact point for applications for the Graduate Research Allowance, the College’s different graduate scholarships and exam entry forms for graduates. She organises Principal’s Collections for graduates, the Principal’s termly graduate buffet lunch for graduates, as well as the various termly graduate dinners. The Graduate Administrator also has some responsibilities which are not limited to graduates, such as the provision of academic transcripts to current and former students and the administration of the College’s academic prizes, grants and scholarships.

Profile: Carole Thomas qualified in Business Studies and has had a variety of roles in local businesses and the Open University. She joined the Home Bursary at Jesus College in 1999, moving to the Academic Office in 2003.

Admissions Officer, Mr Sailesh Vyas

Tel. 2-79721

Email admissions.officer@jesus.ox.ac.uk

The Admissions Officer is responsible for all the administration of the undergraduate and postgraduate admissions rounds, including the Organ Scholarship. He can provide advice to potential candidates, schools and parents, and works on the College prospectus and the Jesus College entries in the University prospectus, as well as the Jesus College admissions website: he works closely in these areas with the Schools Liaison Officer and the Graduate Administrator. He also undertakes certain administrative projects, such as the maintenance of up-to-date emergency contact details for all students.

Profile:

Mrs Sue Morris, Schools Liaison Officer

Tel. 2-87261

Email sue.morris@jesus.ox.ac.uk

The Schools Liaison Officer co-ordinates the College’s liaison work with schools and colleges, and takes a key part in these activities, organising Open Days, subject days and other events for teachers, visits by schools and individual applicants to College, and trips to schools and colleges around the country. She answers enquiries from potential undergraduate applicants, their schools and parents. She is the liaison point within College for JCR access officers, the Target Schools and Access Shadowing Schemes, as well as Familiarisation (or Babies’) Weekends for new students due to come up in October. She is happy to advise students returning to their former schools and colleges to talk about Oxford, and to provide copies of promotional literature.

Please note the Schools Liaison Officer works part-time and is in College on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Profile: Sue Morris read Maths at Clare College, Cambridge. She taught English language and culture in France for a year after graduating, then gained her PGCE from Leeds. She taught in a comprehensive school in Worcestershire for two years, before taking up the newly-created post of Schools Liaison Officer at Jesus College in 2000.