Frequently Asked Questions
Who is behind CÉIM?
Initiated by University of Galway Students’ Union in 2013, CÉIM is run as a partnership between students, academic staff and the Students’ Union.
What's the purpose of CÉIM?
The aim of CÉIM is to:
- Support students to quickly adjust to university life
- Provide students with a peer network and a forum for collaborative discussion
- Increase students’ resourcefulness and confidence as successful and independent higher education learners
- Improve academic achievement and increase retention through cooperative problem solving and learning
- Develop student leaders’ skills to boost their career prospects
- Create an additional mechanism for communication and feedback between teaching staff and students
- Support students and staff to work in partnership on a shared goal
Who can take part in CÉIM?
Please see https://ceim.su.nuigalway.ie/about/become-a-student-leader/ for our current list of eligible disciplines.
Is CÉIM a PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions)/PAL (Peer Assisted Learning)/ Supplemental Instruction (SI) scheme?
How do I apply to become a student leader?
What is involved in the leader training?
Please see https://ceim.su.nuigalway.ie/about/ceim-leader-training/ for information on leader training.
What criteria are used to assess potential student leaders?
- Motivation
- Commitment and reliability
- Enthusiasm
- Creativity
- Availability to volunteer 2 hours each week sessions are on
- Availability to participate in the mandatory leader training in full. In addition, CÉIM leaders need to complete a short online-based learning module during the summer that encompasses key logistics for running effective CÉIM sessions.
How much time can student leaders expect to spend on CÉIM per week?
Every Leader will have to plan and facilitate weekly CÉIM sessions and attend a weekly debrief meeting for Leaders after each session. Student Leaders spend on average 2 hours each week they have sessions working on CÉIM:
– Facilitating the CÉIM session (50 minutes)
– 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).
CÉIM runs for around seven weeks in Semester 1 and ten weeks in Semester 2. Total commitment is therefore around 2 hours per week over 17 weeks of CÉIM sessions.
Which students are eligible to apply to become CÉIM leaders?
Please see https://ceim.su.nuigalway.ie/about/become-a-student-leader/ for the full list of eligible disciplines.
Can any other students apart from students listed above become student leaders?
Students from subjects not listed in our current eligible subject list (https://ceim.su.nuigalway.ie/about/become-a-student-leader/) cannot become CÉIM student leaders at the moment, but this may change as the scheme develops.
Please contact su.ceim@universityofgalway.ie if you have queries about course eligibility. Please include your course code e.g., 1BAG1: BA Government (Politics, Economics & Law).
Do the student leaders teach the 1st year students?
No. Student leaders do not teach. Instead, they facilitate group discussion.
What happens in the CÉIM sessions?
A group of 1st year students meets with two to four 2nd/3rd year student leaders regularly throughout the academic year on a weekly basis. The session opens with some chit chat, then the group agrees what they’re going to focus on that week and they take part in focused small group work activities to get a better understanding of the coursework. There may also be some quick skills development and then the session closes by recapping on what’s been learnt and what the group would like to do next week. CÉIM sessions are about ‘serious fun’ and can often involve some creative techniques that students are unlikely to experience in lectures.
Are student leaders paid?
No, student leaders are volunteers, but there are many advantages to being a leader, check them out here: https://ceim.su.nuigalway.ie/about/benefits/
How do I find out more about CÉIM?
If you have any queries please contact the CÉIM team at su.ceim@universityofgalway.ie.