Applications to become a CÉIM Leader in 2023/24 are now closed. If you have any queries please contact the CÉIM Team at su.ceim@universityofgalway.ie
GOT A QUESTION? ASK US!
Check out our student leader recruitment Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and feel free to email us with any queries at su.ceim@universityofgalway.ie.
What’s It All About?
CÉIM student leaders are 2nd year/3rd year students in relevant disciplines who have made it through 1st year and are keen to help new 1st year students adjust quickly to university life and get up to speed with their coursework.
Student leaders work in groups of two to four to facilitate CÉIM sessions every week for 1st year students throughout the academic year. It’s important to note that student leaders do not teach. Instead, they support 1st years to figure things out for themselves – to learn how to learn.
Research shows that student leaders often gain as much as 1st year students from taking part in CÉIM.
Why Become A Student Leader?
- Receive intensive skills training, and develop and practice valuable transferable skills (sometimes called Graduate Attributes), including leadership, facilitation, communication, organisational, teamwork and active listening skills, as well as using a variety of IT tools and more
- Increased employment prospects, gain relevant work experience to enhance your CV and talk about at interviews, and build your confidence
- Gain the CÉIM Leadership Award (certificate and digital badge) and easily obtain the Employability Award and the University of Galway President’s Award for Volunteering thanks to your CÉIM experience
- The feel-good factor of helping 1st year students to develop their skills and settle into university life
- Be part of piloting peer learning at University of Galway and expand your network by working closely with other students and staff members
- Free CÉIM hoodie
How much time is involved in being a Student Leader?
CÉIM runs for around nine/ten weeks in semester 1 and ten weeks in semester 2.
Student leaders spend on average 2 hours each week they have sessions working on CÉIM:
- Running the CÉIM session (1 hour)
- Taking part in the weekly debriefing session (30-45 minutes)
- Preparing for next week’s session (15 minutes – but this could take less time or more time depending on you)
Total commitment is therefore around 2 hours per week over 20 weeks of CÉIM sessions. In addition, all Leaders must complete 2.25 days of training.
What type of people make good Student Leaders?
All sorts! Specifically, we are looking for students who are committed, reliable and enthusiastic, who like helping others and enjoy working with other people and who can think of creative ways to facilitate learning.
What exactly is the role of student leaders in a CÉIM session?
The goal is for 1st year students to drive the agenda for what will be covered in CÉIM sessions.
In the first few weeks of CÉIM, 1st year students may sometimes be hesitant to suggest content to focus on, so student leaders need to be prepared to prompt the 1st year students and to potentially suggest content to cover. The student leaders’ role is to devise meaningful and creative ways for 1st year students to gain greater insight into the coursework they wish to focus on.
This involves getting input from 1st year students, planning in advance with fellow leaders, structuring the session for 1st year students to work together in small groups, and devising effective learning activities that reflect the needs of 1st year students. Being a CÉIM leader is about listening and asking questions. It is not about teaching.
Training
For 2023/24 CÉIM leaders, 2.25 days of mandatory training need to be completed. All training elements must be completed in full. Training will comprise of two parts. Part A will comprise of 2 short online workshops during the week of 8-12 May, 2023 and 3 hours of self-directed e-learning over the summer. Part B will involve 1 day of training between 1-3 September, 2023. There will also be 2 hours of health and wellbeing training run by the Student Counselling Service during the week of 4 September, 2023.
Find out more about what CÉIM leader training involves.
What is expected of you
All student leaders are asked to read and sign a code of conduct document at the start of the academic year. This document clearly outlines what is expected of leaders and covers topics such as child protection and GDPR.
Garda Vetting
All successful applicants must satisfactorily complete Garda Vetting in order to progress to becoming a CÉIM Leader. A substantial number of 1st year students studying at University of Galway are under the age of 18 and Garda vetting of all CÉIM leaders is part of the CÉIM child protection process.