Ms Jean Jackson, School disability co-ordinator and advising administrator

Jean, when did you first start in the School and what was your job then?

I started in January 2003 when I was appointed as a publishing assistant, working with Prof. Mike Titterington on the Biometrika journal. This is one of the most prestigious international journals in Statistics. My role was to collate the articles into issues, liaise with the authors over details, and deal with the publishers. I had previously worked for British Airways (London Gatwick) as a Senior Engineering Librarian, so the new job was interesting and a good introduction into University life.

Your role has changed a lot over the years. What does your job involve now?

I am part of the School Office team where all the teaching administration, and support for all sorts of other things, happens. My particular roles at the moment include supporting student advising within the School. That involves supporting enrolment, assisting the Senior Adviser and helping out advisers in general when queries arise. Every year there are always several people who are new to the advising role, so anyone is very welcome to come to see me about how things work in general, or if there are specific questions to resolve.

I am also the School Disability Co-ordinator. Each year there are around 60 students who are registered with the Student Disability Service. My role is to make sure that staff know which students have disability requirements and I look after the provision of appropriate support. Exam arrangements are a particular case in point.

I also look after Level 2 support across the School.

I know that you are a keen photographer. In fact, some of your work was on display in the meeting room in our previous building. What sort of photos do you like to take?

I really enjoy taking photos of buildings. I like architecture, with its different shapes and forms, and working out how best to take a good picture from an interesting angle is a challenge. The University is a very good place to experiment with this. The cloisters are a particularly good example.

I also sometimes get roped in to take photos of staff and students. You may see me on graduation day, particularly taking pictures of prizewinners. I've taken a few other "special occasion" pictures. If you see me wandering around the building with a camera, feel free to request a photo shoot.

First published: 2 May 2018

<< April 18