Meet the new Dean of Students

New role to focus on student activities and welfare - News

Thursday 22 November 2007
By Naomi Weston

Professor David Lloyd Smith, has been appointed to the position of Dean of Students, a new role covering student support activities across the College.

After 36 years on the academic staff at Imperial, 13 of those as Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering followed by seven years as a College Tutor, Professor Lloyd Smith is delighted with his new post and is enthusiastic about the challenges ahead.

He first joined the College in 1971 as a Lecturer and became a Professor in 2004. He will report to the Pro-Rector for Education, Professor Julia Buckingham.

As Dean of Students what will your new job involve?

I will have overall responsibility for student counselling, students with disabilities, the chaplaincy and religious interests, College Tutors, Hall Wardens and student complaints and appeals. I also work closely with the International Office making sure international students settle in to College life.

What do you hope to bring to the new job?

Enthusiasm. Rees Rawlings, the previous Pro-Rector for Educational Quality, certainly had plenty of that. As Dean of Students I can now focus on just student activities and welfare which before were covered by Rees along with other things. It’s a great job that plays up to my strengths. I love interacting with students and thoroughly enjoy the teaching aspect of my role as Professor of Structural Mechanics.

What will be the most challenging part of your new position?

The recent increase in the number of students at the College will pose a challenge. More students means that there is more pressure put on the support network we have here. However I am confident we can maintain and hopefully enhance our facilities, and the support network at the moment is working extremely effectively. Other challenges we face are the impacts of more exacting legislation in relation to students who are under 18, studying here and disability related issues.

What is the process for a student who seeks help and support?

Initially any student who needs any advice or support on any issue, either academic or personal, can access their Personal Tutor and Senior Tutor in their Department. If the problem has still not resolved or if they would like to talk to someone else they can talk to a College Tutor in confidence. The College Tutors work with all Departmental/Divisional Tutors and cover all students, undergraduate and postgraduate, from all campuses. Tutors can also refer students to the Student Counselling Service which is free and confidential. It is available to any student who would like to talk confidentially about any personal issue. The College also has a full time disabilities officer who is available to discuss matters concerning access, accommodation, financial entitlement including advice on the disabled students' allowances or other concerns that students may have during their studies.

What do you enjoy most about working in student welfare?

Working in this field enables you to meet interesting people from all over the College, from students to senior staff. I also see first hand what modern student life is really like.

And what about your student days, how does the support network here compare to when you were studying?

I was at the University of Sheffield in the 1960s. We had a good education but only basic support there, for example there was a health centre and personal tutors on hand but nothing like how it is nowadays. There has been a lot of legislation over the years which has encouraged universities to improve their student welfare systems.