UniGuides – University of Auckland

UniGuides

Every year at the University of Auckland we welcome over 6,000 new students during Orientation week. Each of these students is matched to a UniGuide, a volunteer peer mentor who helps them settle into University life. There are multiple other mentor programmes providing tailored, academic and pastoral support within the University, but the UniGuide programme is the largest, being opt-out and accessible by all.

UniGuides are a welcoming first friend for new students. They deliver Campus tours and facilitate ice-breakers, then hold a series of hangouts throughout semester to maintain contact with new students, which is particularly important for those who struggle to establish social networks during the first few weeks. As students come out of the pōwhiri (Māori welcoming ceremony) on their Orientation day, they are split into groups between UniGuides, who will guide them through the day’s activities.

We aim to recruit around 300 UniGuides each year, who are, where possible, matched with new students from their own Faculty. We have 18 UniGuide Leaders, who are recruited from the previous year’s UniGuide pool, and are split across ‘Marketing, Social, Logistics and Training’ committees. These volunteer leaders have an additional level of responsibility; they connect with the UniGuides and help to ensure the smooth running of the programme.

Each UniGuide attends a group interview, and will then undergo online training, which involves instructional videos and quizzes around delivering a Campus tour. Following this, they attend two days of face-to-face group training. Through this they meet their peers, take part in ice-breaker activities, learn more about the University and the logistics of Orientation.

 

UniCrew

UniCrew are a team of approximately 30 student casual staff hired to provide support for Campus events such as Orientation, Open Day, and Graduation. UniCrew are selected for their communication skills, experience, and involvement in life on Campus. They are frequently involved in meeting and greeting visitors, providing directional support, and crowd control at large events.

UniCrew undertake a half day of training which includes Campus familiarity and dealing with challenging customer interactions. They also have the option to participate in other development opportunities such as First Aid and tour delivery training. UniCrew are often the first University representatives our visitors will meet, so they provide the University with a very important service.

Feedback on this new programme has been positive thus far, with 100% participants reporting it has helped to build their confidence and 100% saying it has assisted with their professional and personal development goals. In addition, 94% of the UniCrew reported that the programme has helped them to make friends on Campus.