Leadership Opportunities at UC

Written by Mia Smal

Something you might not have known about college life is the wide variety of leadership opportunities available to all students, allowing you to extend your college experience and build up your CV.

Leadership opportunities throughout the year include O-Week Leaders (OWLs), college tour guides, Open Day volunteers, college representatives, Student Club executive positions, fire area wardens and more!

O-Week Leaders (OWLs)

OWLs consist of over 50 second-year students who help run Orientation Week at the start of the year for new University College students. They assist with organising lots of fun activities to help new residents meet each other and become familiar with life at college and in Melbourne. Some activities include scavenger hunts, games, laser tag, movie nights and of course college parties, which we call ‘terns’. OWLs are really kind and supportive people who make sure everyone feels welcomed, helping them transition to university, their residential college and Melbourne life with ease.

Open Day Volunteers

Volunteering at Open Day is a versatile role involving welcoming prospective students (and their friends and family) and chatting to them about life at college. These volunteers lead tours where they showcase all of the amazing facilities available to residents, including our student rooms, common areas, the dining hall, sporting facilities and more! Other opportunities at Open Day include assisting in handing out gift bags and serving food (a paid role for those who are food safety trained).

College Representatives

College representatives include the first-year student rep, food rep, sustainability rep, IT rep and music rep. If you’re passionate about one of those areas, this is a great way to gain leadership experience while making a tangible difference at University College. Each college representative will organise and manage various events or initiatives throughout the year, such as Art and Design Week or musical soirées. Ideas are endless and you can take ownership of what you want to do in the role.

Student Club Executives

Around August each year, first year students at UC are invited to apply for an executive position on the Student Club, the student body that organises, leads and runs events for the entire community. These executive positions include President (think Kris Jenner for the Kardashians), Vice President (Kamala Harris in the White House), Secretary (like Donna Paulsen in Suits), Treasurer (think Bill Gates), Social Secretary (think Met Gala after party) and more.

All executive positions are elected by the UC students and therefore consist of individuals who are approachable, responsible, trustworthy, kind and fun to be around!

The key responsibilities of each executive position vary, but some main roles include liaising with students and staff on a variety of issues, attending meetings, organising and planning events to engage the community (such as O-Week and Rowing Day), overseeing and managing yearly budgets, building connections with other University of Melbourne colleges around the Crescent, looking after student wellbeing and organising intercollegiate events.

The executive team is always open to student suggestions on life at UC because the purpose of their role is to make college life as fun, supportive and enjoyable for everyone as possible. They are key to creating the welcoming and inclusive community that UC is so well known for! It’s truly an amazing opportunity to shape the culture of the community and see the difference you’ve made at the end of the year.

Summary

So, as you can see, there are many different leadership opportunities available to all students at UC. These roles range in purpose and responsibility so there’s something that suits everyone! If you have any more questions about leadership at UC, feel free to reach out to us on one of our social media platforms or contact us at reception@unicol.unimelb.edu.au

We look forward to seeing what you can bring to the UC leadership team in the future!