Aspiration not perspiration

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Aspiration not perspiration!

• The complete guide to organising a safe and
  hassle-free event

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Who are we and what do we know?

• Student Recruitment Team, Newcastle University
• Emma Reay Residential Summer Schools
• Gemma Kirkbride Assessed Summer School
• Wide range of campus based-events
• Year 10 residential summer school (3 days)
• 2007 200 students
• 2008 280 places
• Year 11 residential summer schools (6 days)
• Generic and specialist
• 2000 to 2006 220 60 students per year

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Who are we and what do we know?

• Year 12 University Survival Guide (3 days)
• 2001 to 2006 220 students per year
• Year 12 Bitesize Uni (5 days)
• 2007 250 students
• 2008 260 places
• Year 13 Assessed Summer School (2 weeks)
• Part of PARTNERS Programme Supported Entry Route
• 2000 to 2007 between 48 and 276 students per
  year
• 2008 300 expected students

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What does that really mean?!

• Professional hospital visitors!
• Gemma is my daughter!!!!!!!
• Pregnancy brings surprises
• Drunk 15 year olds are too heavy to hold upright!
• Plate glass windows on the first floor are not
  safe!
• 16 year old females do not understand the meaning
  of appropriate footwear
• Kids are accident prone!
• Prepare for the unexpected
• It takes longer than you think to order an
  ambulance
• You cannot be in two places at once!
• Any other duties

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Any other duties?!?
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What, who and how?
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Session outline

• Deciding what to do
• Preparation and planning
• Quick checklist of key areas
• Motivating your team
• Programme planning Keeping the students amused
• Student Reps
• Keeping everyone safe
• What worked and what didnt?
• Questions

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Deciding what to do

• Read your University Student Recruitment
  Strategy!
• External funding for activities increased
  targeting
• BUT important to reach students who have the
  potential
• Formal requirement of Access Agreement and
  progress towards benchmarks
• Key corporate goal
• Recruiting subject areas?
• Regional factors and demographics
• Look at maximising impact, ie drip drip effect!
• Incorporate ways of demonstrating and measuring
  the impact!
• Result relevant, appropriate targeted
  recruitment campaign to suit the needs of your
  individual university

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Preparation and planning

• Its never too early
• Brain dump everything
• Two heads are better than one!
• Group related tasks
• What needs to happen and when?
• Event countdown list
• Be prepared to be flexible
• Be a control freak to nth degree!

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Quick checklist of key tasks

• Room bookings
• Porters, cleaners, room layout, AV requirements
• Catering provision
• Programme for the session
• Publicity and correspondence with
  attendees/schools/parents etc
• Staffing and student reps ( training needs)
• Bear in mind any appropriate legislation
• Resources (and appropriate signage!)
• Powerpoint/presentations
• External funding requirements?
• Feedback demonstrating impact

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Motivating your team

• Involve everyone from the start
• Give ownership of tasks
• Play to strengths
• Allow creativity
• Regular team meetings
• Set intermediate goals if appropriate
• Rewards (even if only small!)
• Dont take for granted - say thank you!

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Keeping the students amused

• Aim
• Raise awareness of the benefits of HE
• Address the current issues and barriers to
  progression
• Develop transferable skills
• By day
• Ice-breakers
• Subject tasters
• Study skills
• Personal skills development
• Project/team work
• Employability strand
• Fun activities

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Getting academics on board

• Find the enthusiasts
• Give them context
• Organise an Information Session for them (give
  em lunch!)
• Provide guidelines for working with younger age
  groups
• Send them the feedback
• Generally fall about with gratitude

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Keeping the students amused

• By night
• Bowling/quasar
• Fancy dress
• Theatre
• Cinema
• Paintballing
• Wet n Wild

• Comedian/Magician
• Party in students Union
• DVDs, games rooms, Diary Room
• Eat out/in on a budget
• Formal ball
• Pub crawl

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Student Reps we love them!

• Crucial to the success of any event
• Planned recruitment schedule start early
• - Formal job description, person spec and
  interview procedure for larger events
• Comply with Employment Legislation
• Look for a range of skills, experience and
  personalities!
• Full, comprehensive training at an appropriate
  time
• All information in writing!
• Give them the opportunity and time to get to know
  each other (before the larger events)
• Keep communicating daily briefings (two-way
  process)

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Keeping everybody safe

• Aim To protect students and staff!
• How
• Child Protection Policy and Procedure
• CRB clearance and self-disclosure!
• Child Protection Officers SAFE numbers
• Guidelines for academic/external staff/providers
• Tailored Risk Assessments, separate form for
  lab-based sessions
• Health Safety Checklist for external providers
• Code of Conduct under 18s, over 18s,
  parents/carers, Reps, schools?
• Clear rules from the outset for everyone!
• - Introduction of breathalisers(!) and curfew
  procedure
• Detailed records of all participants - collection
  of dietary and special requirements
• First Aid Training
• Detailed staff training on all of the above
• Make information accessible Health and Safety
  file

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What worked and what didnt?

• Try this
• Ice-breakers
• Treat them like young adults where possible
• Taking the time and effort to get the best Reps
• Formal ball
• Stick to Code of conducts
• Allocated hospital duty
• Rotated first point of contact for overnight
  calls!
• Know your student!
• Individual timetables for reps

• Not sure about
• Student Managers
• Enforced bedtime
• Too much walking!
• Too many structured evening activities
• Lecture-based sessions
• Halls of Residence food!
• Be aware of delivering sessions and running an
  event two jobs!

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Every event co-ordinator needs

• A trusted team
• Energy
• Unbounded enthusiasm
• Attention to detail
• Initiative
• Adaptability
• Believe in what we do
• Not to mention
• flat shoes, sense of humour, a very large bag
  and a can or two of red-bull!

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QUESTIONS?