The NERUPI Student Ambassador and Mentor Working Group invited NERUPI members to the launch of the Student Ambassador and Mentor (SAM) Project Report. At this launch, we presented the findings of the Working Groups’ multi-institutional quantitative research study of the experiences of students working as HE student ambassadors.

Dr Cristian Dogaru, the project data analyst, presented the report findings, including:

• who student ambassadors are
• what roles student ambassadors undertake
• what they think they gain from working in ambassador roles
• the benefits of engagement with different types of roles
• the implications of findings for how institutions design, manage and evaluate ambassador programmes

We also heard from practitioner colleagues from some of our Project partner institutions about how they are already implementing the research findings into their practice, or how it will shape their future approaches.

Background to the Project

Taking an exploratory approach, a Student Ambassador Reflection Tool was initially developed by the Working Group to support ambassadors’ reflections on their experiences and learning to provide a firm basis for further research and evaluation. From this, a NERUPI online survey to support future internal and collaborative evaluation was developed and piloted in a small-scale study with student ambassadors from four NERUPI membership institutions. The questions in that survey were analyzed and refined.

Building on the findings from these previous collaborations, this latest phase of the Project was a multi-institutional research study conducted across a collaboration of ten universities in the NERUPI network. Over 300 student ambassadors completed the Project’s online survey. The study was designed to develop a shared evidence base on the experiences and perceived value of student ambassador and mentoring roles in a diverse group of NERUPI member higher education providers, with the aim of supporting institutional practice and sector-wide learning.

Our Partner Institutions

The partner NERUPI membership institutions in this phase of the Project were: Bath Spa University; SOAS University of London; University College London; University of Bath; University of Hertfordshire; University of Kent; University of Leeds; University of Manchester; University of Salford and the University of Sheffield.

Our Speakers

Dr Cristian Dogaru, Course Leader, MRes Social Sciences and Humanities, School of Business, Arts, Social Sciences and Technology, University of Suffolk

Cristian is an Associate Professor at the University of Suffolk with over 20 years of interdisciplinary professional and academic experience spanning medicine, epidemiology, and social sciences. A paediatrician-turned-social scientist, he holds a medical degree from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania and a PhD in Human Development and Family Sciences from Oregon State University, USA.

As well as playing a key leadership role in the development and implementation of the Civic University Agreement (CUA), Cristian helped shape the university’s civic mission, guiding principles, and governance structures. In addition, he has successfully led and finalized the University of Suffolk’s compliance with the Assured Organisational Connectivity (AOC) framework, ensuring secure and accredited remote access to research data in alignment with UK GDPR and Digital Economy Act standards.

Luke Chapman, Access, Student Success & Development Officer & Sophie Hoyle-Wilby, Student Marketing & Recruitment Officer, Manchester University

With Ferdos Beit Lafteh, Student Ambassador, Manchester University

Luke & Sophie are Project Officers sitting within the Access & Success and UK Student Recruitment Teams at the University of Manchester. They oversee several projects and both look after their respective ambassador programs, as well as liaising with others across the institution.

Emma Ferguson, Student Ambassador Co-ordinator, University of Salford

Emma is the Student Ambassador Coordinator at the University of Salford, where she has worked for almost three years managing and developing a large ambassador programme. Prior to this, she worked in student recruitment and outreach, supporting ambassadors at UCAS exhibitions and careers fairs across the UK. Emma also lectured at the University of Huddersfield during her PhD, which sparked my passion for working with students

Amy Burt, Impact and Evaluation Officer, University of Kent

Amy has nine years’ experience in outreach & widening participation evaluation at the University of Kent. She supports activity from planning, Theory of Change development and ethical considerations through to impact evaluation, data analysis and reporting. As a former student ambassador herself, she is especially interested in the benefits and opportunities it allows for both ambassadors and outreach participants. Amy has co-led the NERUPI Student Ambassador Working Group for several years and has been involved in this evaluation work since its formation. She is pleased to contribute to this group which helps identify effective practice across institutions and explores how ambassador roles shape students’ university experiences, skills and future opportunities.

Background Reading

Student Ambassador Experience: Enhancing Professional and Personal Development (NERUPI Report, 2024)