Cost of Living Ambassador (COLA)
Purpose of Role
As part of the University of York’s dedication to helping students during the cost of living crisis these new student roles have been created. There will be one Cost of Living Ambassador (COLA) per college but will be managed by central Student Support Services in the Student Hub.
The purpose of the roles are to promote existing help to students, signpost to cost of living information and money-saving tips, contribute creative ideas and feedback on how the University can develop support for students, disseminate the support of Blackbullion - our new student financial education platform - and identify individual students who may be struggling.
These roles are five hours per week (to be worked flexibly) for six months. There is one COLA for each of the 11 University Colleges. The roles will suit students with good knowledge of the collegiate system who are committed to building a sense of community for both on and off campus college students. The postholders will receive training for the role.
Specific Tasks
- Promoting support available through the colleges, e.g. free breakfast/dinner, use of college facilities, and other college initiatives. Also attending college events, such as the free food events, to speak to students about how they are managing with cost of living pressures.
- Encouraging sign-up to Blackbullion (BB), promoting its use by college members, and circulating information provided by BB to the college community
- Signposting to wider university information and support, e.g. laptop loans, part-time work opportunities, Student Hub for 1:1 financial advice
- Circulating information supplied by the Student Hub regarding cost of living support and initiatives, and new sources of support, both local and national
- In liaison with the Student Hub, developing and producing engaging media content (blogs, vlogs) to help support students during the cost of living crisis based on the points listed 1-4 above
- Developing and feeding back creative ideas for free/low cost social events and activities to offer students alternative social opportunities, eg within Colleges, with Student Unions and wider student community.
- Contributing creative ideas and feedback as to how the University community can continue to develop appropriate support for all students
- Attending regular meetings with other COLAs and Student Support to discuss key themes emerging from students, feedback progress and develop support/initiatives to meet student need.
Person Specification
We are looking for 11 motivated and enthusiastic individuals who are:
- Studying at the University of York, with good knowledge of the role of Colleges
- Able to quickly understand tasks, work independently and manage their time flexibly
- Able to understand and work within clearly defined boundaries
- Confident to engage with a wide range of people in an empathic and supportive way
- Knowledgeable of the current cost of living crisis and its implications in the Higher Education sector
- Have a positive approach to problem-solving, a ‘can do’ attitude and an ability to manage own workload
- Have a good understanding of financial literacy
- Experienced in writing articles or blogs to a high standard
- Computer literate with experience across the Google Suite
- Have good research skills
- Passionate about community building and empowering students
- Committed to inclusivity and accessibility
Interested in the role? For more information and an informal chat contact Susie Gridley, Student Support and Advice Co-ordinator, Student Hub, by emailing susie.gridley@york.ac.uk
To apply: Please submit your CV and cover letter email by no later than 2pm on Tuesday 4th October 2022. Your cover letter should clearly respond to the following points:
- Please detail your relevant work experience or skills in relation to the advertised role (max 250 words)
- Please explain why you are interested in the advertised role (max 250 words)
Zoom Interview date: Thurs 13th Oct/ Fri 14th Oct
Start Date: Mon 17th October
Induction date: Weds 19th October
If you are invited to interview, you are encouraged to sign up to Dashboard, the system through which this vacancy will be administered. Please be aware that signing up to Dashboard does not guarantee that you will be recruited to the role, but will decrease the processing time of paperwork and payments if you are.