We are looking for new people to take over duties as professors. (New tutors are always welcome.) People who can provide coverage of the times when SL users who come from parts of the world other than North America would be an excellent addition to our staff. Classes available during those times would also be welcomed by our students, including repeats of classes already in session during the SL afternoon and evening.
-- A brief explanation of COU titles:
Tutors:
Tutors are the lifeblood of Oxbridge. They are responsible for spending time on campus and providing support, advice and information to all comers, from rank newbies to experienced residents pursuing the answers to esoteric questions. Must have a year inworld and are asked to serve a 6-month probation/training period.
Professors:
Professors teach our classes. They usually develop their own materials and graphic illustrations, as well as provide supportive extra materials to supplement their lectures.
Friends and Allies:
There are several individuals who work behind the scenes at Oxbridge, often without formal titles. Their skills and enthusiasm fill many gaps left by other staff job descriptions.
-- Classes:
New classes are always welcome. Professors receive a L$250 per diem per class session to cover the cost of uploading graphics. Most classes meet weekly, with the same lecture repeated every week. However, Photo Salon, the Animation classes and the Scripting classes, as well as Samm's Building/Texture class have established a precedent for more in-depth series. Open office hours on some subjects have also proved successful.
While all applications will be considered, Oxbridge prefers staff members to have a knowledge of Caledon, and its mores, culture and puns, as well as specific Oxbridge manners and guidelines. Part of keeping Oxbridge a safe space is for students to feel comfortable around the staff. Staff is expected to represent Oxbridge, abide by Oxbridge rules and support Oxbridge policies while at Oxbridge and while wearing an Oxbridge staff tag. Visible profile listings should be General. This does not prevent having a visible listing of an adult group if the listing itself is General-rated.
Experience in another Oxbridge position, such as Tutor, is definitely a plus. An ability to work with other staff is required, as well as comfort dealing with the public, which may require patience as well as an ability to write clearly and succinctly.
The excellent Professor possesses the ability to tailor class information on-the-fly to students who may be unfamiliar with computers and/or Second Life, may use viewers other than the default viewer or Firestorm, and may vary wildly in ability, basic knowledge and skill.
On rare occasions, Professors are also asked to deal with behavior issues, ranging from newbies who change clothing on your stage to full-fledged griefers. Fortunately, things usually go fairly smoothly. Oxbridge professors are generally asked to teach using the default Linden Lab viewer, at least at the basic level of the class subject matter. However, familiarity with other viewers is always an asset.
To apply to teach a class, please write up a summary of the class to present to Wordsmith Jarvinen, and be prepared to create complete lecture materials and graphic illustrations. Some support is available from former Professors and other staff. With some occasional leeway, prospective professors should be able to commit to a weekly or bi-weekly class time (any open time of your choice. The Alternate Lecture Hall can also be used.) We will definitely consider guest professors who offer SL-related instructional lectures that are timely and pertinent
Classes about aspects of buying and using mesh avatars are very much needed. It's a large, complex subject, so we probably need more than one class.
A professor who takes over our How to Buy and Rent Land class, as well as a Smart Shopper's Fundamentals class, will have access to the former Professor's lecture materials (and associated slides?), so a new Professor would not have to start these classes from scratch. However, they are somewhat technical, so expertise in the area is needed, along with the ability and willingness to continually upgrade one's knowledge to keep the classes current.
-- Miscellaneous projects:
While many of our staff fall into easily defined roles at Oxbridge, there are several people who choose to work behind the scenes on projects that benefit Oxbridge for which they have unique qualifications. If you have expertise in teaching, writing, foreign languages, PhotoShop or Blender, or mesh bodies, there's a good chance we can put you to work on a project that doesn't necessarily require a specific time commitment or other such limitations. Have an idea? Run it by Wordsmith!
Creating informational web page content like Avatars Reload – The Oxbridge Guardian (http://www.caledonoxbridge.org/guardian/) would also be a valuable project for those who don't want to commit to a class. We're looking for content; we can do the web page coding.
Contact Wordsmith Jarvinen, Chancellor of Caledon Oxbridge University to pitch a class. Contact any staff member to obtain an application for tutoring and a Tutor's job description.
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