Guide for the Buddy Boards

The Buddy Board is responsible for planning and carrying out the orientation week in accordance with OsloMet’s goals and deadlines.

In short, the Buddy Board must:

Start-up phase:

• Establish a Buddy Board (chair, deputy chair, financial manager, plus relevant responsibility roles).
• Participate in the Buddy Board kick-off and attend Buddy Board meetings regularly; use the buddy coordinator for advice, templates, and courses.
• Create a progress plan and budget.
• Make early contact with staff in the study program.
• Plan recruitment and clarify permission to arrange stands via fadder@oslomet.no 

During the spring semester:

• Recruit buddies for all the different program of study you are responsible for; use the shared registration form (nettskjema.no) provided by the buddy coordinator.
• Hold a mandatory buddy course (at least two rounds) and ensure that the registered buddies sign the buddy contract.
• Apply for funding from OsloMet and possibly external companies or organizations; prepare a budget and clarify sponsorship frameworks. If you want your trade union to have a stand on campus, this must be clarified with the buddy coordinator beforehand. 

Before the summer holidays:

• Submit the buddy program and order logos/T-shirts via fadder@oslomet.no
• Book rooms/outdoor areas; plan inclusive, affordable/free activities.
• Coordinate with the study programs’ timetables to avoid clashes (available from June 1).

Right before and during the start of the fall semester:

• Set up stands and attend the final Buddy Board meeting in week 32; distribution of buddy items and kick-off for the buddies.
• Invite your own buddies to a kick-off and preferably a get-to-know-each-other activity/buddy gathering.
• During orientation week: appoint a sober daytime manager who is to be responsible every day, follow up groups, and handle incidents in dialogue with the buddy coordinator.

After buddy week:

• Conduct internal evaluations and evaluations in the Buddy Board assembly.
• Submit accounts/receipts by the deadlines and return unused funds.
• Recruit a new board and carry out the handover between the old and new boards (bank, Brønnøysund, SiO register, websites/social media).

See the annual cycle for exact dates.

What is the Buddy Board Assembly?

The Buddy Board Assembly is a meeting place where Buddy Boards can exchange ideas, enter into collaborations, and give each other advice. The buddy coordinator invites participants to and holds the Buddy Board Assembly. In the assembly, the buddy coordinator provides information about deadlines and tasks that must be followed up, offers training, and follows up on progress and questions from the Buddy Boards.

The chair and deputy chair of each Buddy Board must be members of the Buddy Board Assembly. They act as the link between the Buddy Board and OsloMet and are required to attend the meetings. The Buddy Board Assembly is held once a month after the Buddy Board kick-off, and in August on the Friday before the start of the semester (week 32).

What does the Buddy Coordinator do?

The buddy coordinator in the Division for Public Relations and Communication, together with the study start coordinator, provides assistance with advice, guidelines, templates, course support, ordering goodie bags for the registered buddy’s, distribution of funds, and handling conflicts/unwanted incidents.

The buddy coordinator is responsible for creating a shared registration form for buddies, developing the buddy course, and conducting the buddy kick-off before the start of the semester. The buddy coordinator also invites participants to and holds the Buddy Board Assembly. The Buddy Board can ask the buddy coordinator for help with anything by contacting fadder@oslomet.no. 

What do OsloMet staff do?

At the faculties and in each program of study, there are staff members who work with organizing the start of the semester. It is important to meet with them as early as possible to ensure good cooperation before, and during, the start of studies. For example, they can help you obtain lists of new students in August, provide an overview of the new students’ timetables during the first week, and help plan when and how you will meet the new students and divide them into different buddy groups.

It may also happen that staff ask you for help in carrying out activities as part of their program of study start. It is important that you check the contact list and get an overview of who is responsible for the program of study you represent.

A list of contact persons for each program of study, central OsloMet, and other Buddy Boards is available on SharePoint.com (you must be logged in with your student account to access the document; send an email to fadder@oslomet.no if you do not have access).

The board must include a leader, deputy leader, and a financial manager.
The leader has overall responsibility for the Buddy Board and must ensure that all tasks required to plan and carry out the orientation week are completed. The deputy leader acts as the leader’s substitute and may also take on an additional role, such as buddy coordinator. This is decided by the board. The financial manager is responsible for preparing the budget, accounting, applying for funding, and managing the Buddy Board’s finances.

In addition, it is common to have roles such as social media officer, sponsorship officer, buddy coordinator, and events coordinator.

• The events coordinator may be responsible for creating the orientation week program.
• The buddy coordinator may be responsible for recruiting and arranging the mandatory course for the buddies.
• The sponsorship manager may be responsible for applying for sponsorships and maintaining contact with sponsors.
• The social media manager may be responsible for creating content for and managing the Buddy Board’s social media accounts and groups.

During orientation week, the board must ensure that there is a sober person responsible for each day who serves as a point of contact for buddies and new students. The sober person is responsible for following up on questions and activities on the day they are assigned responsibility.

The Buddy Board should start by creating its own progress plan. In this plan, you set out how often and when you will meet in order to meet OsloMet’s deadlines. Remember that it is wise to start well in advance so that you do not have to do everything during the exam period in April/May/June.

When creating your progress plan, it may be useful to clarify:

• When will you recruit buddies?
• When will the buddy courses be held?
• When must applications for funding be submitted?
• When must rooms, parks, and other venues be booked?
• When will you make any necessary purchases and clarify sponsorships?
• When should the first draft of the buddy program be ready?

Important deadlines from OsloMet:

• January: Recruitment of buddies begins. 
• January 24: Buddy Board kick-off, the first gathering for Buddy Boards.
• February 24, 16:30–18:00: Buddy Board Assembly meeting for chair and deputy chair.
• March 30: OsloMet opens applications for funding (submitted to fadder@oslomet.no).
• May 3: Deadline to apply for funding from OsloMet.
• May 3: Deadline to register as a buddy.
• May 3: Deadline to set the date for the buddy course.
• June 1: Deadline to submit logos and order buddy T-shirts fadder@oslomet.no.
• June 1: Deadline to submit the program for orientation week fadder@oslomet.no. A template can be found in point no. 6 of the Buddy Board Guide.
• August 7: Final Buddy Board Assembly meeting and set-up of information stands.
• August 9: Distribution of buddy items and buddy kick-off for all buddies. The Buddy Board is responsible for inviting its buddies at the correct time.
• August 11: Start of the semester
• After orientation week: Accounts and receipts must be submitted to OsloMet by October 1. Unused funds must be returned by November 15.
• Recruit a new board by December 1.

All the important deadlines can be found in the annual cycle, an Excel document that can be downloaded if you wish.

OsloMet, through the buddy coordinator, is responsible for creating a shared registration form for buddies (nettskjema.no). In addition, the buddy coordinator publishes information through OsloMet’s channels (buddy webpages, Canvas, information screens, social media), keeps faculty staff informed, asks for assistance with recruitment, and produces flyers.

The Buddy Board must not create its own registration form. Use the form provided by the buddy coordinator.

The actual recruitment is carried out by the Buddy Board, for example by setting up information stands where students are present (applications for stand permission should be sent to fadder@oslomet.no), handing out flyers, visiting lectures and providing information during breaks, using your own social media channels, contacting student councils and elected student representatives, and talking to as many students as possible.

Remember to recruit buddies from all the different programs within your study. It is important for new students to have a buddy who studies the same program as they do.

Tips and tricks for recruitment:

• Set up an information stand and give something to those who sign up as buddies, for example cake.
• Contact course coordinators in different program of study and ask if you may visit their classrooms. Remember to show a QR code for the registration form on the big screen.
• Use the flyers distributed by the buddy coordinator. Place them around campus in areas where you know your students usually spend time.
• Use groups and social media channels from last year’s orientation week—perhaps some of last year’s new students would like to be buddies this year.

The buddy course is developed by the buddy coordinator and sent to the Buddy Boards well in advance of different dates the course is to be held. Buddy Boards must not change the content of the course. The boards will receive training on how to deliver the course at the Buddy Board Assembly. The buddy course focuses on how to handle the role of a buddy and provides useful information about orientation week. The Buddy Board must add an overview of the preliminary buddy program.

The Buddy Board is responsible for holding the buddy course and inviting its buddies to attend. Participation in the course is mandatory for buddies. After buddies have completed the course and signed the buddy contract, they are allowed to serve as buddies.

It is recommended that the course be held at least twice in May and/or June, and preferably that a summary course be held in August for those who were unable to attend during the spring semester. Inform the buddy coordinator fadder@oslomet.no when you plan to hold the course so that you can receive help booking rooms.

Choose course instructors from the board who are comfortable speaking in front of a group and that are able to engage participants. It is beneficial to use examples and small exercises during the course so that buddies can discuss role understanding and how to handle difficult situations—not just listen to a lecture.

Files and templates:

Buddy contract (PDF)

The buddy program must be filled in using the template and submitted fully completed by June 1 to fadder@oslomet.no.

The Buddy Board is responsible for creating the buddy program for the study programs you are responsible for. You decide which activities will be included in the program for your new students and how you wish to welcome them to OsloMet, the city, and their studies.

The program should consist of varied, inclusive, and preferably free activities that make it easy for students to get to know one another in their groups. Remember to speak with your contact person at the faculty/study program to obtain information about the new students’ timetables, so that the activities you plan do not clash with academic activities.

Create a program that is inclusive and offers a wide range of events. Make sure there is variety so that students who do not enjoy drinking or partying also feel included. Lykkepromille.no has collected many suggestions for fun activities that can be used.

Suggested activities:

• Park games / outdoor activity day
• Barbecue – or other events with free food, e.g. pizza at Fyrhuset or a picnic
• Scavenger hunt – either on campus or in Oslo/Lillestrøm
• Laser tag
• Escape room
• Padel
• Sports tournament
• Olympic-style games
• Beach day
• Paint and sip
• Jewelry workshop
• Stand-up comedy
• Quiz – organized by yourselves or with hired hosts
• City tour
• Karaoke night
• Bowling
• Concert
• Samfunnet Bislet 

Files and templates:

Template for buddyweek program (.docx)

Each Buddy Board may apply for funding from OsloMet to carry out initiatives and events. See the guidelines and application template below. Applications must be sent to the buddy coordinator at fadder@oslomet.no by May 3.

In addition to funding from OsloMet, you may apply for other funding schemes or sponsors to secure additional funds for orientation week.

Other funding sources you may apply to:

• The Welfare Council’s Culture Committee (Velferdstingets kulturstyre)
• Frifond
• Trade unions (e.g. the Norwegian Nurses Organisation, the Norwegian Library Association, etc.)

When contacting sponsors, describe who you are, what you are seeking, and what you can offer in return, and include a budget showing how the funds will be used. Remember that you must not promise anything you cannot guarantee, such as stand space on OsloMet premises, speaking time for all new students, access to OsloMet’s channels, advertising on campus, or similar.

You may offer sponsors to have their logo printed on your buddy T-shirts and to include some of their merchandise in the buddy welcome packs (tote bags).

If you enter into a sponsorship agreement with a trade union, you may offer them one stand space on campus in week 33. The trade union must be relevant to the students your Buddy Board represents and offer relevant student memberships. Stand space for trade unions must be approved and agreed upon with the buddy coordinator fadder@oslomet.no.

Files and templates:

• Guidelines for applying for buddyweek funds from OsloMet (PDF)
• Application form - Application for buddy funds (.docx)
• Template - Budget for buddy boards (.xlsx)
• Example - Application to sponsor (.docx)

The buddy coordinator is responsible for ordering buddy items, wristbands, T-shirts, and sweaters for buddies and the Buddy Boards. The buddy kick-off is organized by the buddy coordinator at OsloMet for buddies and Buddy Boards.

Distribution of buddy items and the buddy kick-off take place on the Sunday before the start of studies, in week 32. The Buddy Board is responsible for inviting its buddies to the kick-off. After the kick-off, and once the buddy items have been distributed, the Buddy Board may invite the buddies to a social activity to get to know each other and prepare for their role as buddies.

Stands for distributing buddy items are set up by the Buddy Boards together with the buddy coordinator on the Friday in week 32. The final Buddy Board Assembly before the start of studies is also held on this day.

After orientation week, the Buddy Board evaluates what worked well and what did not. The chair and deputy chair bring this evaluation to a joint evaluation meeting with the buddy coordinator and the other Buddy Boards at the final Buddy Board Assembly. This evaluation meeting usually takes place in mid-September.

The Buddy Board is responsible for submitting final accounts and receipts to OsloMet by October 1. Any funds that must be returned must be repaid by November 15.

Files and templates:

Template – Accounts (.xlsx)

You must recruit a new board by December 1th and ensure a good handover, so that the new Buddy Board has a solid foundation for planning the next year’s orientation week.

The handover to a new board involves updating board information in the Brønnøysundregisteret, changing authorized signatories on the bank account, updating the contact person in SiO’s register for student organizations, and transferring access rights to any websites and social media accounts to the new board.

• Brønnøysund Register: If the organization has its own organization number, board information must be updated in the Brønnøysund Register. This is done via Altinn.
• Bank: Authorised signatories on the organization’s bank account must be changed to the new board members so they can manage the organization’s finances. This is done through your bank.
• Register for student organizations (sio.no): The organization must be registered as a student organization on www.sio.no, and a new contact person must be added. Old contact persons must be removed.
• Internet and social media: If the organization has its own website or social media channels, it is important that publishing rights are transferred to the new board members.

The new board should also review strategy documents, statutes, previous plans and reports, financial plans, and meeting documents, and conduct individual handovers for each position with the new office holders.

During the transition, the new board should ask the outgoing board questions such as:

• How much time did you spend on board work during the year?
• What goals did you set, and what did you achieve?
• What are you particularly satisfied with?
• What would you do differently next year?
• What priorities did the board have?
• How did the cooperation with OsloMet work?

Files and templates:

• Template for annual meeting minutes (.docx)

Here are two webpages with information that can be useful during the transition from one board to another, to ensure that everything has been covered:

• Overlap Buddy Board – checklist (sio.no)
• General tips and advice for running an organization (sio.no)