Typical roles and duties
There are a whole range of activities you can get involved with as a member of the Warwick Welcome Service from campus tours and Open Days to working with school pupils and at Higher Education Fairs. Below are some typical examples of jobs Warwick Welcome Service members may carry out, but a combination of a range of events makes it an exciting, varied and challenging role.
Further details of typical WWS duties are:
Tours of Campus
One of the key roles of the Warwick Welcome Service is to provide tailored campus tours for visitors to the University. All student ambassadors receive Tours Training when they start with the service, and although a campus tour should provide an overview of the University and its facilities, we encourage you to use your own personal experiences to bring your tour to life!
A tour group may consist of prospective students, their parents, teachers, younger school pupils or any other visitors to the University. They will all have their own requirements and expectations for their visit, and it's your job to tailor each tour to the needs of the group.
Open Days
We hold two undergraduate University open days per year, one in Spring and one in Autumn, and one postgraduate open day in November each year. We need ALL WWS to work on undergraduate open days as they are the largest events in the calendar, and are action-packed days full of challenges and fun! Please put the next date in your diary: Saturday 8 May 2010 for the next undergraduate open day. The next postgraduate open day will be in November 2009.
Open days give prospective students, parents and teachers an opportunity to visit the University, and help them make informed decisions about their future. Visitors book online to attend open days, and they are always very popular - over 6000 people attended our last undergraduate open day.
Warwick Welcome Service are essential to the day's success and perform a variety of roles, including ...
- Providing tours of campus
- Giving Sports Centre tours
- Providing guided walks to Gibbet Hill, Westwood or University House
- Giving directions to visitors (on campus, from car parks, at railway station)
- Guiding visitors to sessions and monitoring numbers within sessions
- Staffing an Information Point
- Attending a drop in session and talking to visitors
- Senior Guide - co-ordinating other WWS and taking on a range of duties throughout the day
For prospective students, parents and teachers who have missed the opportunity to visit the University on open day, we run a programme of Warwick Visits throughout the year. These 'mini-Open Days' provide a taste of the University through a presentation (by a Recruitment Officer) and campus tour (by WWS).
Summer schools (aimhigher)
Held in July/August these range from a few days to week long residential events packed full of activities, both academic and fun - such as training with the Army! The Warwick Welcome Service role on these events is to be a group leader or group mentor acting as a buddy to a group of pupils. They are very demanding and exciting to be invloved with and previous students who have worked on these events have found them very rewarding!
Working with schools
The Student Admissions and Recruitment Office runs a number of outreach programmes with local schools, designed to raise the aspirations of young people and encourage them to think about Higher Education as an option for them. Student ambassadors work with groups of pupils on a variety of activities, and help them to gain an insight into university life.
Year 7 Visits
Year 7 Visits take place off campus in local schools, and are an 'early intervention' activity-based event for Year 7 pupils (11-12 year olds) in schools with low progression rates to Higher Education. The project involves pupils in workshops that provide an introduction to HE and explore different aspects of university life. A typical programme includes sessions on university accommodation and facilities, activities around the subjects available at university and a sports and social challenge. Student ambassadors will spend the day working with groups of pupils on these activities, and will aim to inform (by putting information into context, and giving your own stories), to motivate them and be a role model (by using appropriate language, no discussion of sex, drugs, alcohol etc), and being friendly (approachable, there to ask if unsure what to do, non-threatening).
 ACE - Aiming for a College Education (Year 9)
ACE was originally part of a national programme initiated in 1990 to promote interest and enthusiasm for training and Higher Education. ACE programmes are aimed at Year 9 pupils (14 year olds) who are about to make their subject choices for GCSE, a crucial stage for pupils in influencing their future aspirations.
ACE days provide a multitude of activities that will stimulate pupils and encourage them to think about Further and Higher Education. Activities include: visits to academic departments, academic taster sessions, a campus tour. Student Ambassadors act as role models and a mentor/buddy to a group of pupils and provide a source of information and guidance.
Year 9 Languages Days
Year 9 Languages Days are fun, rewarding and informative days where local school pupils come onto campus and experience a variety of activities and mini-lessons in different languages, extra sessions in the past have included a session on how to speak Japanese!
The Warwick Welcome Service role on these events is to be a mentor or buddy to a group of pupils and to help motivate them in sessions and also to lead a language-based campus tour challenge with a difference!
Year 10 Visits
Year 10 Visits are a series of half-day school-based workshops which aim to provide an effective following up to ACE days. Student ambassadors work with pupils on a programme which aims to consolidate existing knowledge of HE, and to emphasise the opportunities and benefits available in HE. Pupils are asked to consider the positive aspects of HE, as well as tackling those threats and fears (money, support, applications, loneliness, etc) that are currently high on the agenda for pupils of this age. Pupils also take a look at their strengths and weaknesses with a view to identifying attributes and qualities, and areas which they need to work on, in order to prepare themselves for tertiary and higher education.
Saturday Maths Workshops
These events are for local pupils who are interested in learning more about mathematics in an academic environment, and are fun and educational sessions which are great to work on!
GOAL events
Goal is a unique programme designed to target gifted and talented students. The University provides four years of support for G&T youngsters from Yr 10 – Yr 13, including:
There are a number of events to become involved with as a Warwick Welcome Service member and you will act as a role model and group mentor, helping pupils in sessions/activities and leading a campus tour.
pathways to law
Pathways to Law is an innovative and ambitious programme running at five universities across the UK, and offers a wealth of opportunities to school/college students wishing to go into the legal profession. The Midlands Pathways to Law programme is delivered by the University of Warwick, and provides ongoing support to its members through Years 12 and 13, through a structured series of information, advice and guidance sessions. Warwick Welcome Service support pupils through the programme and take part in a variety of events from law taster sessions to mock trials!
Higher Education Fairs
If you are in your second year or above at Warwick, you may get the opportunity to represent the University at a Higher Education Fair. These fairs are typically run by UCAS and take place at venues all over the UK. Depending on the size and type of fair, you may be accompanied by a member of Student Recruitment or, on some occasions, you could be the sole representative of the University of Warwick!
Representing Warwick at a HE Fair is a very important and trusted role, and student ambassadors attending a fair will be fully briefed for their duties at a compulsory training session. You are also required to become familiar with some current information on admissions, and the University of Warwick in general, in order to be confident in carrying out your role.
Whilst on duty at the Warwick stand, you will typically ...
- Hand out prospectuses and other leaflets
- Answer questions from potential applicants about the courses, facilities and opportunities Warwick offers. These questions may be very general, or quite specific, so you may often need to refer the enquiry to Student Recruitment or the appropriate academic department
- Keep a tally / record of the different types of enquiry
- Be a friendly, approachable and professional representative of Warwick
- Keep the stand area tidy and keep your table stocked with prospectuses
Other jobs requested by departments
- including campus tours for departmental open days where departments do not have their own guides.
For further information please email wws@warwick.ac.uk
|
Free access to day and residential courses 