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Buddy Scheme Volunteer Handbook2014-2015
Welcome and thank you for volunteering to be a Buddy!
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Buddy definition:
Buddy Volunteers are current students who have volunteered to be paired with a new student. You will be expected to make email contact with your buddy as soon as you have been matched and to meet with them on a regular basis to provide peer support and help them settle into life at University. Buddies are new students to the University of Sussex who have signed up to be matched with a Buddy Volunteer and to attend Buddy Scheme and Student’s Union events. UK, International, Postgraduate, mature students - anyone who’s new to Sussex and wants to get involved in the scheme for support and socialising.
Starting at University can be daunting whether it’s leaving the family home, moving to a busy city like Brighton, or moving country altogether! Getting used to a new way of life is exciting but can leave some students feeling a bit isolated. That’s why the University of Sussex started up the Buddy Scheme, which is a peer support scheme with many added social opportunities.
The Buddy Scheme is run by the Students’ Union and helps incoming students settle into life at Sussex by matching them with current students (you!) who provide informal support by regularly meeting up and sharing their experiences and tips. The scheme offers the opportunity to make new friends from all walks of life and be a part of something that celebrates diversity in an informal, fun and sociable way. We believe that providing peer support to new students before their arrival and in their first few months is crucial to a quality student experience and your role will be really important in achieving this. We are here to help you in any way that we can, so please feel free to contact us with any questions or ideas. We are really glad that you have chosen to be a Buddy and hope that you enjoy your experience.
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Natalie SacksBuddy Scheme Coordinator
t: 01273 872936e: [email protected]
Jane TruemanVolunteer Support Assistant
Contacts
For general enquiries email: [email protected] or pop in and see us in the Activities Centre 1st floor of Falmer House.
www.sussexstudent.com/buddyscheme
The Buddy Scheme
You as a Buddy Volunteer:
As students of the University of Sussex you are full of great tips and information for new students, but we don’t expect you to know everything! This handbook is designed to help you out. It contains contacts, advice and support so that you can help aid a smooth transition for the incoming students.
This is an informal scheme so we only require you to commit to training and 1 hour a week.
We recommend that you meet weekly for the first month. The Buddy Scheme will be organising socials, trips and events for all Buddies and you are welcome to come with your own Buddies or on your own to meet others. It’s a great opportunity to get to know others in the scheme on a regular basis. There will be other exciting things to get involved with as well such as the Language Cafe and the new Active US project - more about them later!
Remember: You don’t need to know everything!If you have any questions you can always contact the scheme co-ordinator at [email protected] or drop by for a quick chat. We can help you to refer people on to services that can help them- you are there to be a friendly face not an info hub.
The Buddy Scheme will:
• Help new students with their transition into University life.
• Improve student interaction and the flow of communication.
• Increase the access of practical information to new students.
• Give students the opportunity to meet other students from different backgrounds.
• Provide current and new students with sharing and learning partnerships.
• Give tips and ideas on how to make the most of Sussex University and Brighton.
• Help students make the most out of social opportunities run by the Union.
Your role:
• Welcome your Buddies to the University of Sussex.
• Signpost any services they may require and ask us if you’re not sure.
• Offer support and encouragement
• Help them find activities they may be interested in, such as Union sports and societies
• Respect confidentiality, unless you feel that your buddy is at risk to themselves or others
• Get involved in the events, trips and activities offered to you and encourage your buddy/ies to join in.
What we don’t expect from you:
• To pick up your Buddy from the airport!!
• Become best friends (but you might!)
• Solve their personal/social problems
• Put yourself in a situation where you feel uncomfortable
• Proofread their work or do any kind of academic support - there are mentors whose role this is.
• Be on ‘on call’
• Offer money, skills, or an uncomfortable amount of time
How you will benefit from the scheme:
• Receive complete training including the expectations of your role, active listening and culture shock.
• Excellent CV experience
• Improve your communication, interpersonal and organisational skills
• Meet and help new students from all kinds of different cultural backgrounds
• The opportunity to practise languages with a fluent speaker.
• The chance to try out a fun, new activity or sport.
• Lots of social opportunities and the chance to experience something new
• Exciting events and trips at subsidised prices and the opportunity to get involved yourself.
• Find out more about how the Union runs and how student services on campus work
• Flexibility around how and when you choose to meet with your new student buddy
We try our best to match you based on the profile you created, but no promises!All Buddies are matched based on the information listed in your completed application form. We try our best to match you based on the listed criteria, but we can’t always accommodate everyone’s requests. Unless stated on your application form, you will be matched with a small group of new students depending on numbers and preferences. This will be a maximum of 4 new students per Buddy Volunteer.
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There are a number of events organised throughout the term. These will continue throughout the year. You can come to these with your buddies, or independently with friends. Some are subject to change. Keep up to date via the website www.sussexstudent.com/buddyscheme
Buddy Socials:
The booth at the back of Falmer Bar from 4pm. Drinks vouchers available.9th October / 14th November / 4th December
Buddy events: (dates to be confirmed) Week 2 Campus walk / Stanmer ParkWeek 3 Trip to Arundel CastleWeek 5 Trip to the Sealife CentreWeek 6 Horror Film Night @ The GlobeWeek 7 FireworksWeek 8 Bring a Dish eventWeek 10 Trip to LondonWeek 11 Christmas pub quiz
Buddies Events
Language Cafe
The Language Cafe provides students with the opportunity to learn or practise a language in an informal, sociable setting with fun games and activities. The cafes are held weekly, organised in collaboration with the Sussex Centre for Language Studies and is hosted by Language Cafe Leaders. Food is provided! Why not take your buddy to the Language Cafe if you are both interested in language learning?
The Language Cafe runs every Tuesday 5pm-6.30pm at Falmer Back Bar.
e: [email protected] / www.sussexlanguagecafe.co.uk
Active US
“Active US” is a new and exciting collaborative project between Sussex Sport and the Students’ Union. The aim of “Active US” is to increase Sussex students’ regular participation in sport (at least 1 x 30 min per week) and to keep students engaged during their transition from school or college to university and throughout their time at university. The scheme will directly link in to the Buddy Scheme offering free or discounted activities and non competitive sport sessions exclusively to Buddies including free transport to venues and socials. To include: beach volleyball at Yellow Wave, mountain biking, discounted swimming sessions, football, the Bouldering centre at Portslade and regular activity taster sessions.
Email: [email protected] / www.activeus.co.uk
Get Involved
Support from the Students’ Union:
The Student Voice Advocates at the Students’ Union are here to help with the following academic issues against the university and complaints:
• Appeals• Academic Misconduct• Disciplinaries• Fitness to Practice Hearings• Complaints against the University (academic and
non-academic)
t: 01273 87 7038 or e: [email protected]
You can find them in Falmer House on the first floor, through the Common Room and in the office on the left at the end of the corridor.
Signposting informationPLEASE NOTE: SOME OF THESE SERVICES WILL BE MOVING LOCATION
Elected Officers are here to represent the views of the students, each one has responsibility for different areas of Union activity.
PresidentAbraham Baldry: [email protected]
Activities OfficerLyndsay Burtonshaw: [email protected]
Communications OfficerMichael Segalov: [email protected]
Education OfficerBethan Hunt: [email protected]
Welfare OfficerRianna Garguilo: [email protected]
Operations OfficerDan Greenburg: [email protected]
University services:
Student Life Centre
Can sign post to all other relevant student services on campus, so are a good first point of contact for any student issue. • They give information for all internal university processes
such as fee payment and mitigating evidence
• Run the X-card scheme (which entitles people to free condoms) and offer sexual health advice and information.
• Issue Student bursaries and scholarships
• Drug and Alcohol drop in session
• Deal with student wellbeing eg. Homesickness
• Funding queries and problems with loan payments. www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentree: [email protected]: 01273 876767Where to find them: Chichester 1
Student Accounts If you have any queries about undergraduate, postgraduate or study abroad fees these are the people to talk to. They can also explain how to pay any fees or charges you might get such as library fines. www.sussex.ac.uk/finance/services/feesandincome/studentaccountse: [email protected]: 0800 849 4979Where to find them: Sussex House
Housing Office Deal with university managed accommodation both on and off campus. They also give some housing advice on private renting in Brighton. You can send a student there in the first instance if they have any problems with their housing. They also have a Tenancy Checking service. www.sussex.ac.uk/residentialservicese: [email protected] / t: 01273 678220Where to find them: Bramber House
Student Support Unit Offer support to any student who has a disability. They offer tests for anyone who is not sure if they have a learning disability such as dyslexia. They also run study skills session on things like essay writing, note taking, revision etc. www.sussex.ac.uk/studentsupporte: [email protected]: 01273 877466Where to find them: Pevensey 1 on the North South Road
Psychological & Counselling Services Offer free counselling sessions to any student who needs them. www.sussex.ac.uk/counsellinge: [email protected]: 01273 678156Where to find them: at the Health Centre building
International Student Support Office & Study Abroad Office Deal with specific issues that international students might have, such as immigration status and visas. They also put on a lot of good events and trips for international students. Additionally they are the place to send people who are thinking of taking a study abroad option.
www.sussex.ac.uk/internationale: [email protected] [email protected]: 01273 678422Where to find them: Friston building
Careers and Employability Centre
Help students with their CV’s and finding employment after they graduate.They run sessions on how to make yourself more employable and have information about jobs available for students while they study.
www.sussex.ac.uk/careerse: [email protected] t: 01273 678429Where to find them: Ground floor of the Library, Jubilee Square.
University services continued:
Student MentorsStudent Mentors offer academic peer support for your course. They can help you plan essays and often give workshops on study skills, and revision techniques.To enquire about Student Mentors go to the website: www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre/academic/mentors
Co-run by the Students’ Union and University:
Student Reps Your school or subject will have a student rep who you can inform of any issues you have with your course or module. Student Reps provide an essential link between students, the Union and the University. Student Reps are Undergraduate and Postgraduate students elected by Sussex students to represent the views and interests of students in their subject, department or school year.Reps find out about issues impacting on student’s studies and experience, and take this information informally to individual members of staff in the department, and can raise issues more formally at department, school, and university level committees in order to effect positive changes.www.sussexstudent.com/student-reps
Services offered on Campus:
Talking About ImmigrationAnyone who provides immigration advice in the UK must be fully trained and authorised to do so. Only staff in the International Office are able to provide specialist immigration advice such as the immigration system, student visas, working in the UK during and after your studies, settlement and getting married in the UK.
Tel: 01273 678422 or email: [email protected]
Notes
www.sussexstudent.com/buddyscheme
