Working with Student Champions
Our Student Champions work in partnership with staff to develop and shape the learning and teaching environment, and overall student experience.
The Student Champions are a group of 26 current students who work in partnership with staff on a variety of projects, to help develop and shape the student experience. Our Champions are critical to our success and we recognise that students must be involved in all aspects of university life in order to really improve the student experience.
In their role, these students work across the University with staff to co-create and develop university resources, offer student insights to help shape projects, collate and analyse data, work on communication strategies and tactics, and any other tasks that lead to improving the student experience.
Becoming a student champion gives students an opportunity to gain experience of working at the University, whilst supporting student initiatives, learning more about the academic and wider student experience, sharing views and opinions, representing fellow students, and improving their personal and employability skills.
The work of our Student Champions
To really improve the student experience, it is critical that students are involved in the decision-making process of the work we do. The Champions scheme offers staff the opportunity to work directly with a group of students who reflect the make-up of Cardiff University students, covering all schools, levels of study, and varying demographics. These students receive training in data collection and analysis, communication and video creation, and student engagement.
Over the past year our Student Champions have worked with staff in Schools and Professional Services on over 25 projects:
- Working on co-creating and developing resources for projects in a variety of areas within schools and professional services
- Supporting data collection through the creation and facilitation of student surveys and focus groups
- Providing a personal perspective and insight of experiences at university to shape decision making and resources
- Supporting curriculum and software development by trialling new initiatives and working with staff to review and implement recommendations for improvement
- Working with colleagues on communications strategies and tactics, including social media presence and video production,
- Working alongside staff and students, as an ambassador for the University.
How the scheme works
Our Student Champion scheme is made up of 26 students who work on tasks and projects. The scheme is run and owned by the Cardiff Learning and Teaching Academy's Student Engagement Team.
The main purpose of the Champions is to involve them in our work, gaining their perspectives and working in partnership with our students. The Champions do this paid role flexibly alongside their studies, working a maximum of 17 hours per month.
The Student Engagement Team works with Staff to find the best way Champions can be involved in their work and are on hand to help provide guidance throughout the project.