This guide is intended for University Admins who are responsible for recruiting, training and managing ambassadors. It is not intended for student ambassadors themselves.
What is an Ambassador Programme?
Your ambassador programme is made up of enthusiastic students - perhaps alongside staff, faculty and alumni - that are the voice and face of your institution.
They are your on-campus and digital advocates, and they can speak to the student experience as they are living it, right now!
As a team, they’re typically a passionate, proactive and engaged bunch with a desire to share their stories and experiences to help prospective and admitted students make the right decisions about where to study, and move them forward with the right guidance, advice and reassurance.
92% of students say it is beneficial to speak to a current student during the search process.
“Our institution’s students are its main strength and having Unibuddy as a platform to demonstrate this is vital to our future.”
Unibuddy Admin at University of Leicester – UK
So, what do you need in order to launch a successful ambassador programme?
Step 1: Define the ambassador profile for your institution
As a University Admin, consider:
What is your definition of a student or staff ambassador, and what do you expect from this person?
Which behaviours or qualities does this person have that will make them an excellent ambassador?
What is the purpose of their role?
📋 Unibuddy’s example criteria for Ambassadors.
The following criteria are intended to help University Admins evaluate and recruit ambassadors.
*Reminder: use this criteria as a guide. You may wish to add to this or remove aspects based on the requirements for your institution.
The behaviours, qualities and scale you’re looking for: |
A strong communicator: an effective, clear writer and presenter who can tailor communication style and content to their audience in a compelling manner. |
A strong passion for serving and understanding prospective students as they navigate their higher-education decisions. |
Reliable and committed to represent and promote the reputation of the university in a competent and professional manner, and provide prospective students with an engaging and authentic experience. |
Flexible to prioritise requirements based on the direction of the Ambassador Manager / University Admin, based on where support and time is needed. |
A digital native, and open to learning and using new digital tools to enhance the prospective student experience. |
Strong people skills: able to easily engage with prospective students, share their experience and be an open source of knowledge for those interested in attending the university. |
We would suggest looking for a diverse representation of ambassadors across courses/programs, nationalities, languages and hobbies to help you influence and resonate with your prospective students.
You should look for at least 5 ambassadors to get started. The more diverse your ambassadors are, the higher chance a prospective student will engage with your Unibuddy Chat platform. Depending on your university size, you can of course grow this number of ambassadors as you go.
Step 2: Create ambassador recruitment materials
What will their day-to-day responsibilities look like?
What do you expect from their role holistically outside of Unibuddy?
Is any institution-specific training required to make them successful?
How much time will they need to dedicate?
What are the benefits to students, staff and faculty of being a part of your ambassador program?
Step 3: Promote and shout about it!
Spread the word internally about your ambassador program, the benefits of having one and why teams should promote this within their own departments.
Put the word out that you are looking for current students or staff members interested in joining.
Share your open roles across social, email and internal platforms.
Make sure to have a strong call to action (CTA) to drive interest.
More resources:
Download our tools below to help recruit the right ambassadors and shout about your program internally.
Other templates
In terms of best practice, we'd recommend checking out Glasgow’s breakdown of their digital ambassador roles