Open Day support
Staff and students are at the very heart of our open day experience for prospective students and their families.
The Open Days give prospective students the chance to visit academic departments, view accommodation and find out more about sport, recreational activities and why Loughborough is one of the leading universities in the country.
The Open Days are a great opportunity for staff to get involved in the wider activities of the University as part of ‘Team Loughborough’. Staff volunteers play a critical role in contributing to the success of the University’s recruitment strategy. Last year we had over 33,000 people visit the University across the four days of events and without staff supporting the events in a wide range of roles these events simply wouldn't happen.
When are they?
This year’s events are on the following dates;
Roles
Directions
Staff on directions play a critical role during the events. Open Day activity takes place across the whole campus and its easy for guests who haven’t been here before to get lost which can be frustrating and spoil their experience of the event. Staff are there to help guests get to where they want to be, chat to them about their day, the University and recommend things to see and do during their visit.
Registration/Information Welcome Desks and Gazebos
Registering guests at the event helps us with monitoring and future event planning. Guests can register at a number of points across campus including welcome desks in the main event buildings and pop-up registration gazebos we use to help stop congestion in the buildings and safely manage the flow of traffic. As well as registering people on iPads the welcome desk and gazebo teams also as information points helping guests with questions about the event as well as life at Loughborough.
Team EHB
Staff working in Team EHB are responsible for the management of the EHB venue in terms of the flow of guests in and out of the main lecture theatre J.1.04, the EHB atrium. For 2020 the team will be expanding to support the introduction of two new lecture theatres and to ensure the safe management of the venue given this increase in visitor flow. In between sessions the team help visitors with questions and queries they might have about the event and the University.
FAQs
What are the shift timings?
A normal open day shift is approximately 08:00 – 15:30 each day. We can be flexible and accommodate staff working different hours (e.g. start later or finish early) to fit their schedules and work patterns if needed.
Do I have to work both days?
Ideally yes! Working both days helps with consistency and managing staffing levels but if you can’t work both days, we’d still love to have you as part of the team! Volunteers on the Saturdays are particularly welcome as these days see the largest number of guests on campus and we need more people than normal to manage the huge numbers of people that visit us.
If I’m working outside of my normal hours, do I get my time back?
If you are working outside of your normal working hours to help support the open days, please speak to your line manager to agree arrangements for claiming your time back. Staff working at open days are usually offered TOIL in return for working which they can take off at a later date.
Will I receive training before the event?
There is a training and information session before each set of events so that volunteers are know what is happening when and where, as well as what their role entails. Staff from the Student Recruitment, Marketing and Admissions team and a team of trained student ambassadors will also be on hand. You do not need a detailed knowledge of the admissions process to be part of the team.
Do we get breaks?
Staff volunteering at the event get a one hour break each day (sometimes teams will spilt breaks up so everyone gets two half hour breaks) and a free lunch voucher is provided as a thank you which you can redeem at any of the University outlets open during the events (including the pop-ups at EHB). Your team leader will arrange breaks within your team.
What do I need to wear?
We ask that staff wear the purple Team Loughborough t-shirts so visitors can identify them easily on the day. There is no requirement to wear office attire during the open days - you are welcome to wear more casual clothes such as jeans, shorts, leggings etc if you would like. We recommend you wear comfy shoes!
Get involved
If you would like to volunteer to work at the open days, or have any questions about working the events, please email Claire Fletcher or call on 01509 228294.