Posted: Friday, 4th May 2012
A SCHEME to allow staff and students to work together as colleagues is being promoted by the University.
Employability scheme - MMU Futures – promises a series of events starting in June to encourage student involvement in community and sustainability events.
Pro vice-chancellor Penny Renwick believes projects such as Love Food Hate Waste which sees students and staff campaigning to improve our sustainability will be replicated under the umbrella of MMU Futures.
“The idea of staff and students working together as colleagues on common campaigns is something we aspire to and aim to facilitate. The process will enhance student experience and allow MMU to position itself in new ways with its local communities and with present and future students.”
New and existing events
Other existing events that will be part-student organised include Employability Week, New Directions, Volunteering week and Open Days.
To engage students in the CV-boosting scheme, Penny has recruited a team of 16 students covering creative, organisational and promotional input into event management.
More than 50 students were interviewed as ‘curators’, which are paid under Jobs 4 Students.
One of the successful ‘curators’ Stephanie Coulton, an undergraduate on the Advertising and Brand Management degree, said getting involved in extra-curriculum activites enriched her experience and impressed employers.
Honing skills
Stephanie said: “I am currently applying for a placement for my sandwich year, and employers pick up on the additional work you partake in. I am passionate about MMU Futures and intend to show my organisational and teamwork skills.
Additional to the existing events are new events both within and outside the university, all of which engage students in teams with academic, technical and administrative staff. Already on the bill is a music talent showcase in Hulme, a programme of short foreign language courses and a fundraising project with the Princes Trust.
The University has also recruited an intern and marketing specialists Future Ink to help run the scheme.
And it’s not just the ‘curators’ who gain skills and experience: “The idea is to get hundreds of students involved and to give them credits for their input to or attendance at events,” said Penny.
For more information go to: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/futures
If you have ideas for MMU Futures or want to get involved in any way please contact Penny Renwick p.renwick@mmu.ac.uk