Welcome Ambassadors - Values training

The Community Values Education Programme
(CVEP) has designed and delivered this in-person training for the Warwick Welcome Ambassadors.

Introduction to activities and initiatives which focus on Warwick Values for Welcome Ambassadors

As an Ambassador for the University, you are often the first contact for prospective students (and their families/support systems). This resource aims to support Welcome Ambassadors to manage and address questions related to Warwick Values and summarises the face-to-face Ambassador training.

Several key Warwick projects and initiatives that relate to values are outlined below with one or two key points to remember. Links to further information are included where available. The list is not exhaustive but aims to give you an idea of the types of activities happening at the University and what they are trying to achieve (more projects will be added as we become aware of them).

Please direct any questions to the Warwick Welcome Service Team (WSS@warwick.ac.uk) or to CVEP@warwick.ac.uk.

Active Bystander training

Interactive training for students to increase skills and confidence to call out/report unacceptable behaviours such as sexism, sexual misconduct, racism, homophobia, etc.

Over 5000 students have taken part in some way over the last three years and the training is part of Club and Society leaders training.

Warwick Values Moodle

Shows page 1 of the Values Moodle (image of a Warwick student).

Online education course for all current University of Warwick students. The course covers behavioural expectations at Warwick.

The course has received positive feedback. Students report finding this a useful activity to do at the start of their journey at Warwick, helping them to shape the environment they will be in for the next few years.

PATHWAY programme

Two students of colour in the lab with a teacher

The Warwick PATHWAY programme will create a community of aspiring black researchers. One of the key activities includes providing ring-fenced funds (25 awards) for black students in the URSS scheme (where UG students carry out research in the summer, under supervision of academic staff at Warwick.

Pronouns pledge

Part of a programme called ‘Queering University’ which encourages practices that are inclusive of trans and LGBTQUA+ people.

The pledge forms part of an action plan of simple steps that staff and students can engage in to support gender expression and trans identities. One of the steps is to wear a (free) pronoun badge to show support to the community.

Inclusive Education Model

All department will be working on developing an action plan with their students to address barriers to success and to improve the outcomes for all students. The model doesn’t just focus on academic outcomes, but on students’ sense of belonging and mattering as an individual too.

TRIW

Tackling Racial Inequality at Warwick (TRIW) is a training programme aimed at staff, to help develop inclusive leadership skills and knowledge to develop a culture that is anti-racist. Staff report feeling more empowered after taking the training to be anti-racist in the community and to better support students. The university has a Race Equality Charter Bronze award.

Say My Name

We are a diverse campus. Getting each other’s names right is important. This project shares resources to help remove awkwardness around names and encourage respectful interactions around names. Over 1000 staff and students participated in research and activities for this project.

Personal Tutor training

All students have a personal tutor to support your academic experience and development.

New training topics include supporting students with disabilities, helping students make social connections and addressing loneliness, focusing on student wellbeing, and being anti-racist. By engaging in more training, personal tutors will be better equipped at supporting a range of students from different backgrounds and with different needs.

Students Union campaigns

The SU offers a range of activities which reflect issues of importance to student, such as

safe nights out,
ensuring clubs are welcoming, diverse, inclusive and accessible as possible for people of all abilities and identities,
tackling race hate and microaggressions,
creating more opportunities and socials without drinking.

Report and Support

Confidential online platform for staff and students to report experiences of unacceptable behaviours (such as sexual misconduct, race hate, transphobia, discrimination and bullying among others).

Gender Expression fund

This fund supports students to apply for up to £50 of gender-affirming items (funded by the SU). This initiative was developed by a Warwick student and applications are assessed solely by transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse members of the Warwick Pride. society

Addressing Microaggressions

This is a new project delivered by the Community Values Education Programme (CVEP).Students are working as collaborators to develop training and raise awareness of this issues.

Free self defence classes

These free self defence classes are for women (& non-binary people) and help equip students with the skills needed for self-defence and boosting confidence, drawing on a range of martial arts and combat sports.

Internship programme

This internship programme is for undergraduate students from a widening participation background. All internships are paid.

Ask for Angela

This campaign supports students who need help at Warwick bars and clubs. If students feel unsafe in an SU venue, they can head to the bar and ask for 'Angela'. Staff have been trained to help and support you.

CyberWomen@Warwick

A student led initiative that promotes and celebrates gender diversity in Cybersecurity and fosters a community that prioritises inclusion and strives to enhance gender diversity in this field.

Menopause Staff Network

Resources and support for staff affected by menopause and others (managers, wider teams).

Maskulinities project

A project aimed at men in sports to explore the positive and negative impacts of masculinity, share a space with other men to open a discussion about their issues and concerns, and explore topics such as sexism and homophobia.

International Student Experience project

These roundtables encourage all international students to share their views and experiences since arriving at Warwick and future plans after graduation, to tell us what’s going well, and areas where we could improve the international student experience.

Intercultural Training programme

The programme includes a number of workshops and an online course to help students to better understand, communicate, and build effective relationships with those from different cultural backgrounds.

More being added soon!

Go to phrases

“Something Warwick is doing in that area is …”
“Warwick staff and students are engaging in an initiative in that area… “
“Something exciting to share is…”
“That’s a really important question. I do know that Warwick has XYZ project which aims to help improve student and staff experience in that area”.
“One project that is trying to make a difference in that space is…”
“I don’t know all of the detail, but there is a project about…”

And if you are not sure/need to move on:

"Can I direct that question to my supervisor at the end of the tour? I want to ensure you get the right information.”
"I hope that helps… we can pick this up again later if helpful”.

More about the training

We have trained over 400 Welcome Ambassadors to date. On our last feedback from, 91 per cent of students reporting feeling satisfied with the training. Students reported finding out about projects they had not heard of before and feeling more confident in addressing new or difficult topics.

"I liked how [we] were given examples of how to respond to someone asking a question because that was helpful for a real life scenario". Student feedback.