Association Online and Face-to-face Meet-up and Event Hosts arrange and support meet-ups for students. As the lead organiser, they will decide when the events take place, and what they will focus on be it a meet-up for a specific faculty, area or interest.
Overview of role:
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers across the world to help us promote the Students Association and engage with our student community.
If you would like to help students connect with each other face-to-face or online and build awareness of the Student Association, this role is for you! Applications close at Midnight on Sunday 22 October.
As an online Meet-up host
You will be facilitating and supporting online meet-ups or events for students on Microsoft Teams or Adobe Connect. You might like to host sessions relating to what you are studying, your interests and hobbies, your location, or a social event such as a quiz. You can host regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly sessions, or you may like to host one-off sessions too. We ask all sessions to have two hosts, so you can choose to lead or support sessions.
The time commitment is flexible – it can be as much or as little as you are happy to do. You may like to host a one-hour session per month, or one per week for example. It may also take you an hour or two to set up the session and promote it on various platforms.
The role can be carried out entirely from home.
As a face-to-face Meet-up and Event host
You will be facilitating face-to-face meet-ups or events for students in your local area across the world. You might like to meet up for a coffee in a local café, study together at a local library, or you could even hold a social event such as a quiz. You can host regular sessions e.g. monthly, or you may like to host one-off sessions too.
The time commitment is flexible – it can be as much or as little as you are happy to do. You may like to host a one-hour session per month, or every other month for example. It may also take you an hour or two to set up the session and promote it on various platforms.
The organising of the sessions can be undertaken from home, but the sessions themselves will take place out in your local area.
Event & Meet-up Hosts will be able to claim back their expenses for running in-person events, which includes reasonable expenses for mileage and parking or for public transport to and from the meet-up venue, and also for a tea, coffee or soft drink when you are hosting your event. More details will be shared once you are in the role.
Essential for role:
You must be a current member of the Students Association to apply (all registered OU students are automatically members according to our Articles of Association).
You must be able to complete the online training:
- Online core training for volunteers in Safeguarding, GDPR and PREVENT
- Role specific online training videos and quiz
- This training will be available as part of the role training area and will need to be completed by Tuesday 7 November 2023.
You will need to run one or more meet-ups or events and provide feedback to the Student Community team following the sessions you run.
You must act in accordance with the Association’s Values and behaviour policy.
You must have good communication skills, enjoy talking to other students and have a welcoming and inclusive attitude.
You must be interested in becoming more involved in the OU Student Community.
You must check local Covid guidance and only arrange a face-to-face event or meet-up if supported by local/regional guidance in place at the time. You must also complete a safety tick list and follow guidance provided by the Student Community team.
Supported by:
Within this role you will receive support from the Vice President Community and the OU Students Association Student Community team who will help you with any subsequent meet-ups and events you run.
The OU Students Association Volunteer team are here to support you throughout your time as a volunteer. So don’t forget you can talk to the volunteer team at any point during your time as a volunteer, whether you want to find out more about other roles, find ways to get more involved or to write an article for our newsletter or website!
As a volunteer you can access a range of training on our website, as well as having access to the Association Volunteers ‘SLACK’, an online volunteer community.
Team contact details can be found in your volunteer handbook.
Desirable skills for role:
- Passion for the OU Students Association mission statement, to make a positive difference for all OU students, and objectives
- A willingness to engage with new and continuing OU students
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Students who are interested in becoming more involved in the OU Student Community and enjoy talking to other students are perfect for this role.
In order to make students feel part of the community, it is important you feel comfortable in setting up and running meet-ups and events.
All registered students are automatically members of the Students Association. You are a registered student for two years after you complete your most recent module OR until you graduate (whichever is sooner). Full details are in Section 11 of the Students Association Articles of Association.