Widening Access and Student Success (WASS) ambassadors play a key role in helping participants to become fully aware of their capacity to succeed in education. You'll help them to gain a realistic, but ambitious, insight into the range of opportunities available. Ambassadors can provide a relatable and transformative experience for the learners who attend our programmes.

As a WASS ambassador, your work is mainly focused on children and young people. You'll be involved in informing and advising participants about higher education. It's important that our ambassadors understand some of the barriers our learners may face, both now and in the future.

Student ambassadors represent the University of Hertfordshire and promote a positive view of higher education as a whole. Ambassadors are recruited at the start of each new academic year, based on the needs of the programmes we run.

The Race and Ethnicity Equity Student Advocates (REESAs) support and inspire students from racially minoritised backgrounds and help the University to understand their lived experiences. Formerly known as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Student Advocates, the REESAs help staff to develop inclusive and equitable practices across all aspects of the student experience.

We recruit to the roles at the beginning of each academic year and actively encourage applications from students from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds.

Over the past three years our Race and Ethnicity Equity Student Advocates have:

• led our annual Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Careers events including Q&A panels, employability sessions and motivational talks for over 300 students
• supported the creation of events to inspire Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Students’ success e.g. “Dorm room to board room” panel
• conducted focus groups to gain feedback from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students on their experience
• helped academic departments gain an understanding of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students at the University
• worked with our schools to decolonise the curriculum
• guided the decision-making process for initiatives for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students, including actively participating in the University’s Race and Ethnicity Equity cross-institutional Working Group.
• contributed campaign ideas, including to the Students’ Union’s ‘Rise Up’ campaign.

Every year we welcome a level 5 student to join the team to complete their placement year. They help to deliver the Widening Access and Student Success programmes, supporting the administration, organisation and marketing of a variety of projects and events. The role is varied, from data entry and analysis to social media marketing. We'll encourage you to contribute to new ideas and initiatives too!