Week One is to undergo a number of significant, structural changes as part of reforming the University of Nottingham Students’ Union (UoNSU) Welcome Programme.
Teams of ‘Welcome Mentors’ will replace Week One reps and will be recruited by application, rather than being elected to the position. The mentor system is expected to be larger than the previous representative structure, with a minimum of six mentors per hall and up to twenty in larger halls.
This year, on-campus, catered halls had a total of four Week One reps and larger halls, such as Broadgate Park, had twelve.
It is claimed that these mentors will have broader roles than those of Week One reps, including being allocated a specific group of students for the welcome period and being responsible for guiding new students through the University’s registration processes.
The current Week One Executive will be replaced by a nine-person ‘Co-ordinating Committee’. This committee will also be recruited, rather than elected, and all students will able to apply for a role
The Students’ Union will also be introducing the role of a ‘Lead Mentor’ for in each hall to ensure that ‘Welcome Mentors’ are accountable for their responsibilities and actions.
The new programme also outlines changes to the leadership structure of the Welcome Programme, meaning that the current Week One Executive will be replaced by a nine-person ‘Co-ordinating Committee’. This committee will also be recruited, rather than elected, and all students will able to apply for a role.
The ‘Welcome Mentors’ and ‘Co-ordinating Committee’ for the next academic year will be selected by members of the Students’ Union and a panel of students, which is likely to include previous Week One reps and Executive members
Students will be able to apply for mentoring positions in halls which they did not live in. However, SU Activities Officer, Joe Caunce, said: “Students who have lived in the hall more recently are more likely to be chosen because the experience is fresh in their memory”.
Previously, the Week One Executive included a Treasurer and a member being responsible for organising the week’s finale event. However these roles have been scrapped, allowing for the introduction of welfare and inclusivity co-ordinators to help ensure that students are properly supported and accounted for.
The ‘Welcome Mentors’ and ‘Co-ordinating Committee’ for the next academic year will be selected by members of the Students’ Union and a panel of students, which is likely to include previous Week One Reps and Executive members.
An extension of the period is “still possible as the changes are only to the leadership structure. The new programme will be trialled for the 2015-15 freshers, with the opportunity to be adapted in later years”
The newly-devised Welcome Programme is still set to be one week long, despite UoNSU President-elect, Angharad Smith, claiming that she would like to extend the period to a fortnight.
Joe Caunce commented that an extension of the period is “still possible as the changes are only to the leadership structure. The new programme will be trialled for the 2015-15 freshers’ week, with the opportunity to be adapted in later years”.
Students can apply now to be a part of either the Committee or the mentoring team. More information is available on the Students’ Union website.
Jacob Bentley
Image: Andreas Billman
