Volunteer as a Peer Connector

If you've been at the University for a year or more and would like to become a Peer Connector, as part of the Peer Connections service, we would love to hear from you.

We recruit undergraduates and postgraduates from all Schools of the University.

Benefits of becoming a volunteer

You will:

• meet lots of new people
• develop communication, team working and organisational skills
• increase your confidence
• improve your CV and Personal Development plan, and become more employable with our valuable free training
• gain personal satisfaction

Your experience can also count towards the national Saltire Volunteer Award.

Tasks and responsibilities

Working in small teams, Peer Connectors take on a variety of tasks such as:

• Welcoming new students
  • Answering questions and showing students where to go
  • Assisting at induction and social events
  • Helping new students settle in
• Buddying and mentoring
  • Meeting regularly with students who need further support or information
  • Online buddying via email
  • Acting as informal mentors - offering ideas
  • Facilitating buddy groups for new students, for example, international students, students joining the university from FE College
• Organising and promoting
  • Distributing publicity materials for Student Services in relation to services or campaigns, for example, health, volunteering.
  • Assisting in the recruitment and induction of new Peer Connectors.
  • Organising or assisting at social events for students.
• Listening
• Help prospective students by email answering questions about life at the University.

With additional training Peer Connectors can provide:

• Peer education on life skills or health related issues
• Peer mediation service
• Suicide awareness presentations

What commitment is required?

Although there is flexibility, most of the usual semester time activities require on average a couple of hours of your time a week.

You are expected to attend an informal Peer Connections Team meeting once a month for about an hour and to keep in contact with the Peer Connections Co-ordinator.

You should also check your email regularly (preferably daily).

A Peer Connections co-ordinator will monitor your workload to make sure that you don't become overloaded. If you need to, subject to suitable notice, you can take a break.

Training

We offer you an initial compulsory Peer Connections induction and training plus other additional non-compulsory workshops, and plenty potential social activities.

Specialised training is also offered if you'd like to get involved with:

• suicide prevention and awareness
• peer-led health education programmes

Peer Connections Peer Helper Training

This covers:

• Student Services information
• volunteering role
• mentoring
• interpersonal and listening skills
• personal boundaries
• confidentiality
• personal safety
• diversity
• mental health awareness
• gender based violence awareness
• student issues/referrals
• support for peer helpers

In person training days will be held on 14 and 15 September 2022, new volunteers need to attend both days. It is preferable that new volunteers attend the in person training if possible, otherwise online training will be made available for new volunteers for self-study. Further details will be sent to new volunteers regarding this nearer the time.

As well as the chance to do something different and help you with your volunteer work, these courses give you the opportunity to develop the key transferable skills employers are seeking.

Apply to be a Peer Connector

Relevant policies

University of Dundee Volunteering Policy (including Peer Connections Volunteer Policy)