Fadderstyrehåndbok - Student

Buddy board handbook

Buddy board handbook

Information and tools for you who are member of a buddy board.
  • Contact information

  • Who does what?

    Buddy coordinator at OsloMet

    The buddy coordinator is employed by OsloMet in the Department of External Relations and Communications (Department SK). Together with Team Student, the buddy coordinator and the university-wide buddy board have the overall responsibility for the implementation of the semester start. This applies, among other things:

    • Assist you in the buddy board with advice, guidelines, handbook, templates, as well as help you get in touch with the right people
    • Contribute content to the buddy courses that the buddy boards organize themselves
    • Receive applications for and give financial support to events made by the buddy boards
    • Create a joint application form to become a buddy
    • Order and pay for the T-shirts and other buddy goodies for buddies/buddy boards
    • Make the buddy kick-off during semester start

    For the semester start in autumn 2024, the buddy coordinator is Eileen Golamini. The university-wide buddy board consists of Sekina Batul Ahmad and Tuva Hougen Lygre. You can contact the buddy system at OsloMet at fadder@oslomet.no.

    The buddy board

    The buddy board is responsible for planning and carrying out the buddy weeks in line with the university's goals and expectations, as well as carrying out associated tasks according to given deadlines. This includes, among other things:

    • Form a new buddy board every autumn
    • Establish contact with the responsible employees on each study program
    • Recruit buddies (adviser in Department SK prepares registration form)
    • Plan and carry out courses for buddies in April/May (buddy coordinator and university-wide buddy board assist)
    • Divide buddies and new students into buddy groups
    • Plan, implement and evaluate the buddy week(s) in August
    • Make sure there are sober supervisors for each day of buddy week

    Roles within the buddy board

    The buddy boards must have a chairman and a deputy chairman. Other roles that are common on a buddy board are PR and sponsorship manager, buddy manager, events manager and finance manager.

    Buddy board meetings

    The buddy boards can exchange ideas and give advice to each other in the buddy board meetings. Also, the guidelines and contracts for the buddies are drawn up together in these meetings.

    The chairperson and deputy chairperson of each buddy board take part in the buddy board meetings. They are the link between the buddy association and OsloMet and are obliged to attend meetings of the buddy boards.

    Staff on each study programme

    They have a special responsibility for accepting new students and for the daytime program. It is important to have a meeting with them as early as possible to ensure good cooperation before and during the semester start. It is common for them to ask you for help with some of the compulsory activities. See the contact list at the bottom to find out who is responsible for the study programs you represent.

    List of contact persons for each study program, OsloMet central and other buddy leaders (sharepoint.com). You must be logged in with your student user to view the document.

  • Transfer from one board to another

    When a new board is elected, it is crucial that important knowledge does not disappear, and that access and rights are passed on. We recommend that all students who work in the buddy system register the buddy board as an association at sio.no.

    Accesses

    The association and persons with positions in the association are registered in various registers and instances. Here is an overview of some that you will need to change when replacing the board:

    • Brønnøysundregisteret: If the association has its own organization number, information about the board must be updated in the Brønnøysundregisteret. This is done in Altinn.
    • The bank: Managers of the association's bank account must be changed to the new board members in the bank, so that they have the opportunity to spend money in the association. Contact the current bank to do this.
    • The register scheme for student associations (sio.no): If the association is registered as a student association at sio.no, a new contact person must be added to the information about the association, and old ones must be removed.
    • Internet and social media: If the association has its own website or its own channels in social media, it is important that the rights to publish on these are transferred to new board members.

    Review of important documents

    A quick review of strategy documents, articles of association, previous plans and reports, financial plans, and internal meeting documents gives the new board an overview of how the board works.

    Individual review of positions

    All positions should have a review with the new people who will sit in the position. This is to make it easier for those new to the posts to carry out their work.

    E.g.: The old manager goes through what the position as chairman entails for the new manager.

    Questions you should ask the outgoing board

    • How much time did you set aside for the board work?
    • What goals did you set, and what did you achieve?
    • What are you particularly happy with?
    • What would you do differently?
    • What priorities has the board had during its term?
    • How do you collaborate with OsloMet?

    Advantages of being an association

    • You get to carry on your work from year to year.
    • You have the opportunity to apply for funding from the Board of Cultural Affairs.
    • You have clear guidelines in the form of laws and statutes, which help steer the board of trustees in the right direction.
    • You can create good traditions that can be transferred to the next board.
    • You get free courses and training from SiO.
    • You get company account in the bank, which is necessary to receive the funds you apply for.

    Visit SiO's website for help starting an association, finding courses and other useful information.

  • Progress plan and important deadlines

    Create a progress plan

    Create a progress plan with deadlines for various tasks that must be completed. Use the annual wheel below as a starting point. A project plan should include how and when goals are to be achieved as well as what resources are used to achieve the goal. It can be a good idea to make a budget for the project.

    Annual wheel for the buddy boards (.xlsx)

    You should think about

    • When should buddies be recruited?
    • When will the buddy course be held?
    • When must an application for funds be made?
    • When must premises, parks etc. booked?
    • When must submission of the number of buddies and buddy board members be submitted? (Regards ordering buddy benefits)
    • Sponsors?
    • Purchase of various equipment?
    • When should the buddy program be outlined?

    Important deadlines

    All the most important deadlines are in the annual wheel for the buddy boards (.xlsx).

    • March 15th: Recruitment of buddies begins
    • April 7th: Deadline for early application for funds from OsloMet
    • May 5th: Deadline for applying for funding from OsloMet
    • May 5th: Deadline for registering as a buddy
    • During May/June: Hold buddy courses for the registered buddies
    • June 2nd: Deadline for submitting logos for and ordering buddy t-shirts to fadder@oslomet.no
    • June 2nd: Deadline for submitting the program for the buddy week to fadder@oslomet.no
    • August 9th: Last meeting of the buddy boards and readying the stall for buddy-goods
    • August 11th: Distribution of buddy goods and buddy kick-off
    • August 13th: Semester start

    After the buddy week, you must participate in the evaluation and closing event in the buddy board meeting. Completed accounts and receipts are sent to OsloMet by October 1st. Funds to be returned must be repaid by November 15th. You must recruit a new board by December 1st and ensure a smooth transition between the old and new board.

  • Create a buddy program

    What should the program look like?

    Here is a template of how the program should look. This must be completed and submitted by June 2nd 2024.

    Template - buddy program (docx)

    Suggestions for activities

    Plan a varied program and have a special focus on:

    • including students with different interests, ages, etc.
    • making it easy to get to know the groups even better
    • making sure the activities are free
    • making sure the activities are during the day
    • creating activities that are fun to be part of

    and remember that the activities

    • DO NOT exclude students with a specific background, age, religion, etc.
    • DO NOT create expectations about or suggest that you have to drink a lot

    At lykkepromille you can find examples of activites that do not focus on drinking.

  • How to apply for sponsors and funds

    It is recommended to be early when the buddy board is to apply for funds and other things from sponsors. Write in the application who you are, what you want and what you can offer the sponsors. Here it is necessary to use sales tricks and marketing in the application. Also send a budget with the application – companies will like to know what their money is being spent on. Feel free to use the example further down the page.

    NB! Remember not to promise something you can't keep! E.g. you can not promise that a sponsor will get a stand on OsloMet's premises, or that a sponsor will be able to speak to all the new students at the semester start.

    Funding from OsloMet

    Each buddy board can also apply for funds from OsloMet for the implementation of measures and events. See guidelines and application template below. The application is sent to the buddy coordinator at fadder@oslomet.no by May 1st.

    Other funds you can apply for:

    Files/templates (all files are in Norwegian):

  • Recruitment of buddies

    The buddy coordinator prepares a common registration form and helps the buddy board with material to recruit buddies for their own study programm/department/faculty. The recruitment period usually starts in March to April. It is important that enough buddies are recruited in each study program, so that each program is represented. Here it is also important to recruit buddies for new international students.

    Tasks for buddy coordinator at OsloMet

    • Create a joint registration form
    • Create and publish information on student.oslomet.no, information screens and OsloMet's own social media channels
    • Send e-mail and/or posts information on Canvas to all students
    • Create a flyer and/or poster that each buddy board can hand out

    Tasks for buddy boards

    You yourselves are responsible for recruiting buddies, but it is recommended that you:

    • Meet students in the buildings your students stay in (remember to apply for permission)
    • Hand out flyers and put up posters
    • Go on class visits and inform students during lecture breaks
    • Share information in social media and other channels
    • Contact the student councils and get help from them and other union representatives to spread information
    • Talk to as many people as possible

    How to apply for a stand permit

    Send an e-mail to fadder@oslomet.no, and we will help you get a stand permit.

  • Buddy course

    • Content for buddy courses is prepared by the buddy board in collaboration with the university-wide buddy board.
    • It is recommended that courses are held at least twice so that all buddies have the opportunity to participate in at least one of them. In addition, it is recommended to hold a summary course for those who did not participate in the spring semester.
    • All buddies must attend a course – this is mandatory in order for them to be allowed to become a buddy.
    • Tell the buddy coordinator or university-wide buddy board when you are having your course so they can participate. Contact the university-wide buddy board if you want to book a room for the course and they will help you.
    • It is a good idea to get someone who is enthusiastic and good at speaking in assemblies to teach the course.
    • The message must be heard, and this is difficult if the buddies think the course is boring. Therefore, have active exercises that can engage the buddies.
  • Buddy kick-off and distribution of buddy benefits

    Distribution of buddy benefits

    Team Student and the buddy coordinator are responsible for ordering buddy benefits. Each board then collects this by agreement, and then distributes it to the buddies before the buddy kick-off. This takes place on the weekend of August 9th-11th.

    Buddy kick-off

    The goal of the buddy kick-off is for it to be a kick-off for the upcoming buddy week(s). This day is only for the buddies and is organized by the university. But it is the individual buddy boards that invite and take care of the social gathering afterwards. This can be done together or by each faculty separately.

  • Evaluation of the buddy week

    After the buddy week, it is important that the board assess what was good and bad about this year's buddy week. This forms a better basis for next year's board, so we avoid that they have to start all over again.