Category Archives: Student Campus Partnership (SCP)

Student Case Study

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Name of Student: Ethan Xavier Thomas Earl 

Degree Subject: Economics & Finance 

Job Title: Project Coordinator 

Company Name: University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:  

This project is funded by the Education Incubator and led by Barrie Cooper and the Digital Learning Developers in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy.  The Education Incubator supports staff from across the University by creating spaces and funding projects in which they can explore and develop pedagogic innovations and ideas. 

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

Creating content for blogs and social media. Gaining and exhibiting leadership experience when helping to direct events and work processes. Also, showcasing the space to prospective users including students and staff. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

Increasing the number of people borrowing equipment from the Digital Maker Space, especially through a showcase event held at the end of term which was mostly directed by the interns. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

Sometimes we had differing perspectives on what opportunities to pursue for an event at the space, but listening to the diverse range of approaches resulted in a better final approach than any individual would’ve achieved. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication  
  • Teamwork and Collaboration  
  • Problem Solving 
  • Leadership 
  • Customer Service 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • IT 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching 
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Logical thinking 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 
  • Professionalism 
  • Motivation 
  • Personal Awareness 
  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 

 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

My internship experience was my first professional experience and provided a fantastic opportunity for me to gain experience to showcase to prospective employers. Throughout the internship, I learned a lot about the importance of communication and setting goals to achieve the desired outcomes. Finally, I think it was incredible to work alongside two other interns and Barrie our manager, along with a few others, to form a close-knit team which greatly improved the Digital Maker Space over the course of my time there. 

Student Case Study: The University of Exeter

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Name of Student: Alice Sharp 

Degree Subject: Medicine (BMBS) 

Job Title: BMBS Student Intern 

Company Name: The University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:  

The Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for biomedical and clinical research and teaching with a focus on understanding the mechanisms and treatment of human disease. 

Their research delivers direct benefit to patients, the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry, with the aim of understanding the underlying cellular, molecular and genomic basis of disease and applying this knowledge in innovative ways that lead to improved treatment and a better quality of life for patients. Scientists and clinicians in CBS work closely together to ensure that our research is directly targeted to clinical need. 

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

 What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

Looking at a set of year 1 LSRC sessions and seeing if they included: equality, diversity and inclusion. Also, looking at and suggesting ways that the following can be included in those set of year 1 LSRCs. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

Contributing to changes in the medical school curriculum to make it more inclusive and to stimulate conversations around these subjects. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

I was given a lot of anatomy sessions, given the content of these sessions it was hard to think of ways to make them inclusive as the focus was on learning the structures in the body. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Work Load Management 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • Researching 
  • IT 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Perseverance 
  • Motivation 
  • Cultural Awareness 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Confidence 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“During my internship as a 3rd year medical student, I had the invaluable opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the year 1 curriculum for medicine. It was an enriching experience that allowed me to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.

Throughout the internship, I closely examined the existing curriculum, identifying its strengths and areas that needed enhancement. Collaborating with senior faculty members, I actively participated in discussions and proposed innovative ideas to refine the course structure and content.

This internship provided me with a deeper understanding of medical education and allowed me to make a meaningful contribution to the development of future physicians. It reinforced my passion for teaching and inspired me to continue striving for excellence in medical education. “

Student Case Study: Education Incubator

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Name of Student: Holly Frostwick 

Degree Subject: FCH Mathematics and Philosophy 

Job Title: ChatGPT Intern 

Company Name: Education Incubator 

Description of Organisation:  

The Education Incubator aims to be innovative in all aspects of its work, providing a space for staff and students to build communities around new projects that deliver lasting change at the University of Exeter. 

The ChatGTP project will assess the potential benefits and challenges of the proliferation of AI text generators for higher education. It will draw on the experiences of staff, students and the broader University of Exeter community to determine the nature of any new problems confronting the university and innovative strategies to make the most of the potential these new tools offer while minimising the threats. 

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

Key responsibilities for me included managing social media (Instagram) for the project, writing blog posts, helping set up workshops, as well as reviewing recordings of workshop. Also, I will be part of the report writing.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was creating and managing the project’s social media. This allowed me to develop my graphic design skills; being part of the project’s workshops made me more confident in my abilities, as well as helping widen my perspective on this area; I will be part of writing the resultant report for this project which I anticipate will also improve my confidence in my written communication as I develop my abilities for technical writing. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Teamwork and Collaboration 
  • Ability to Work Under Pressure 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • Degree Specific – report writing, copy writing 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Work Ethic 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

This was a great experience to work in an area I’m really passionate in. The workshops which the project ran provided a great opportunity to speak to loads of people about their opinions, and as a result deepened my understanding and opinions. 

Student Case Study: The University of Exeter

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Name of Student: Varsha Balakrishnan 

Degree Subject: Spanish and Communications 

Job Title: Student as Change Agent Intern 

Company Name: The University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:

At the University of Exeter, they want to make the exceptional happen, and have a real and lasting impact on the world around them. They are already firmly at the forefront of universities worldwide and their ambition is to increase that position, particularly as a Global 100 institution. They challenge their talented students to achieve more than they ever thought possible and recruit the very best people from around the world to reach greater heights in research excellence, innovation and impact.  

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My biggest responsibilities were to reach out to different students – from different backgrounds/ different societies (connect with them via social media). Also, to use excel to create spreadsheets and signposting information for attending Teams meetings. Working in this area you help with the communication and branding of key pieces of work to ensure they are easily accessible and helpful for students. Liaising with project partners to make decisions about the project shape and outputs with a key role for me. As well as this I took a leading role in the direction and management of key elements of the project communicating and collaborating with students, academic and professional services staff and Guild/SU representatives where appropriate. Moreover, I planned, designed, and undertook student engagement research to better improve the services offered to students by the university.   

 What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was the work I produced (an excel tool that departments will now use). As well as this a big achievement of my internship has been the ideas and opportunities it has given me. For example, I was encouraged by my team leaders to apply for the student as change agent self-funded projects because of the ideas I have – and my project was accepted. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

There weren’t very many challenges for me. I was a little nervous to present PowerPoints in interviews, but I realised it would help me gain confidence for the future by practising this skill. As well as this my team leaders encouraged me which further helped.  

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Teamwork and Collaboration 
  • Problem Solving  
  • Ability to Work Under Pressure  
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • IT 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching  

 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Perseverance 
  • Motivation 
  • Logical thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 

 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

It was very fun, and enjoyable. I learned about the inner workings of the University’s non-academic departments; which helped me with the tasks I had to do as part of my internship. My supervisors were incredibly supportive and were there to help me if I had any questions – even after I completed the internship, they told me on numerous occasions that they are available to help and support me with any career, CV, interview help, and much more. I would recommend it to any student who would like valuable experience and would want to develop and learn new skills (that are appealing to employers). 

 

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences 

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Name of Organisation: University of Exeter, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences 

Description of Organisation:  

This project focuses on the co-creation of virtual field trip environments within the Renewable Energy discipline, and aims to research the efficacy of these in facilitating participation in field trip activities for those unable to attend sites in person. 

Name of Employer: David Trudgeon 

Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellow 

Internship Scheme used:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

“The focus was predominantly on marketing / advertising the project to undergraduate students to engage them with the co-creational aspects of the project. Rebecca successfully produced high quality materials for this purpose and provided additional avenues for communication to widen the student audience. 

Her biggest achievement was producing high quality advertising materials in a timely manner and managing time to work flexibly to meet both the needs of the project and undergraduate study. 

Rebecca was very professional and able to effectively carry out all tasks required. Support and guidance from the Internships Team were excellent throughout.” 

Student Case Study: The University of Exeter

Name of Student: Zoe King

Degree Subject: Psychology

Job Title: Student as Change Agent Intern 

Company Name: The University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:  

The Strategic Support Team at the university have 3 opportunities for Students as Change Agents (SACA) Interns.  This is the University’s pathway for empowering students to actively improve the university experience for themselves and their peers via leadership and participation in a series of impactful change projects. The internships provide term-time projects on themes that are at the heart of the student experience. These include promoting community and engagement, the university’s approach to student communication and improving academic support.  

This role was part of the Student Campus Partnership (SCP) scheme, based in a local team in Exeter. 

Type of Internship:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key responsibilities were gathering information on and developing tips on how students can utilise feedback. Also, I had to attend weekly meetings with supervisors. I provided a resource on helping students utilise feedback for Study Zone Digital from a Student Perspective. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

I gathered information from students and developed tips on how to utilise feedback. Then I produced a 900-word blog and an infographic to advertise the blog on how to utilise feedback from a student’s perspective. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

I made a poster with a link to a survey asking how students use feedback, but I was not allowed to put it up around campus as it did not follow the university branding guidelines, so I had to think of new ways to gather information. Instead, I sent out messages and ask people in person about feedback and managed to gather more than enough information. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication  
  • Teamwork and Collaboration  
  • Problem Solving 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes 
  • IT 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Commercial Awareness  
  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Motivation 
  • Personal Awareness 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 
  • Professionalism 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

From the beginning I was given a clear outline and a briefing sheet from my friendly supervisors on what was expected of me. I was given the option of making a blog/video/infographic but the beginning I wanted to do a blog as I enjoy writing, so I made a timeline of what needed to be done to help me plan and began gathering information from students so I could write the blog. I thoroughly enjoyed the 5 weeks, especially doing the blog and designing the infographic as the feedback was really positive when my supervisors read it. I would definitely work for the university again as I felt supported and empowered to take initiative. 

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter Digital Humanities

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Name of Organisation: University of Exeter Digital Humanities 

Description of Organisation:  

The Digital Humanities Lab offers unique spaces, equipment and training for staff and students. They support innovative Digital Humanities research, offer training and teaching, and undertake digital preservation and display of historic material and artefacts using advanced technologies. They work with a range of university teams including Technical Services, Library, IT, and academic staff. 

Name of Employer: Gemma Poulton 

Job Title: Technical Manager 

Internship Scheme used:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

Our intern Isabel worked on a range of projects including digitisation, photography and 3D images. Her greatest achievement was her growth in confidence to work with academics on a range of projects. Isabel is a committed and enthusiastic intern and always worked with enthusiasm on the work she was tasked with.  

 

Student Case Study: Exeter Communities Together

Name of Student: Jian Zhang Poon 

Degree Subject: Bsc Management and Marketing WIE

Job Title:  Project Coordinator Intern 

Company Name: Exeter Communities Together 

Description of Organisation:  

Exeter Communities Together (ECT) represents the coming together of a partnership of seven grassroots organisations, many of which have been run on a voluntary basis by community members, with the overarching aim of enabling Black, Asian and minority ethnic residents in Exeter to have a voice and increased visibility in the wider community.  

ECT will contribute to improving the health and well-being of ethnic minority communities and society as a whole by developing, as a partnership, shared knowledge and understanding, building sympathy and reducing fear between Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and the indigenous population and reducing social isolation. 

A key objective for ECT is to improve health and well-being for the City as a whole and to spread this benefit more widely in Devon. In this we are supported by Exeter City Council and Devon County Council. 

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key duties and responsibilities were designing posters, emailing partners, organising events, and doing minutes in board meetings. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was holding 5 events with over 100 attendees, and increasing social media platforms following. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

The biggest challenge for me was working for a very small company so my role held more responsibility. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Teamwork and Collaboration 
  • Organisation 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • IT 
  • Networking 
  • Assessing and Managing Risk 

 

 Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Perseverance 
  • Creative Thinking 
  • Cultural Awareness 
  • Personal Awareness 

 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“Working for my first internship in the UK was a valuable experience; I learned a lot about how to actually put my marketing knowledge to use while learning how to work in a professional environment and for a non-profit. It was challenging as I was in charge of the whole marketing side of the company as my superior was on maternity leave. However, I got to learn and design marketing materials really quickly after knowing what each partner wanted specifically. I have gained knowledge from fellow interns as well as my boss and have learnt a lot from this experience.” 

Student Case Study: Digital Humanities UofE

Name of Student:  Isabel Moon

Degree Subject:  BA History

Job Title: Digital Humanities Intern

Company Name: University of Exeter

Type of Internship: Student Campus Partnerships (SCPs)  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

Lab work, Front desk, Project work

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

The website I made for the Namibia For All disability in Namibia awareness project

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Time and Workload Management
  • Problem Solving

Attributes Developed:

  • Commercial Awareness
  • Confidence
  • Professionalism

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

I have greatly appreciated my internship experience this year. I have learnt more about the world of work within the humanities sector here than I have anywhere else. It has been a great opportunity to work on projects that interest me and to work with like-minded people. I’ve loved being able to work hands-on with historical items and working on meaningful projects. I have always been passionate about preserving history and spreading awareness of it and this internship has been a brilliant opportunity to do so and to gain the skills and experience I would need to do so again in the future. I am happy to have been offered a part time role within the team.

Employer Case Study: Commercial Marketing Team, University of Exeter

Name of Organisation: Commercial Marketing Team, University of Exeter

Name of Employer: Kate Durward-Akhurst

Job Title: Marketing Manager

Internship Scheme used: Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter

Feedback:

“The insights provided by the student were invaluable, proving a students point of view on areas pertinent to the work we are trying to do. Her ability to quickly analyse and sort information, particularly market research or website and communication tools has been impressive. She has needed very little assistance and once given a task has been able to run with it, developing the work and delivering on time.

Our intern’s inputs and point of view as a current student that are extremely helpful- being able to see things through her eyes and understand how we can improve our communications with student because of that.

Excellent internship! Invaluable, incredibly eye-opening and most definitely worthwhile.”