Undergraduate Open Days: call for volunteers

The first Open Days of 2023 take place on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 June. Preparations are well underway to welcome thousands of visitors to our Whiteknights and London Road campuses.

Many prospective applicants and their supporters will get their first chance to experience where they could be living and studying, so it’s an important part of the recruitment cycle.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Van de Noort said: “I would like to thank everyone who is working to support our Open Days this year. They are critical to our recruitment plans and I am very grateful to everyone across the University who goes above and beyond to make the experience so positive for our visitors.”

Here is what you need to know about plans for the upcoming Open Days.

Volunteering

The success of our Open Days relies on the hard work of volunteers. Colleagues are needed for a variety of support roles, including welcoming and registering visitors, helping people find their way, and staffing information stands.

Full day shifts are 08:00 – 16:00, but shorter stints may be possible.

If you can work on one or both Open Days, please complete this form with your availability.

Limited parking

With over 800 visitor vehicles expected each day, the following car parks will be reserved for visitors only:

• Whiteknights: Car parks 1a, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8
• London Road: Whitegates car park

Parking facilities for staff will therefore be extremely limited during both Open Days, with spaces prioritised for visitors and Open Day volunteers.

Travel to campus and working from home

Colleagues are asked to review their travel plans and arrive by public transport if they can. As well as the usual service provided by Reading Buses, staff are welcome to use the free Open Day shuttle bus between Reading station and our campuses.

If driving is the only option, there will be some parking available for staff in the other car parks on campus on a first come, first served basis on both days. This will be very limited and not guaranteed, so colleagues are asked to car share if possible to reduce demand for parking.

There will always be parking space in the main campus car parks for members of staff who hold blue badges.

Colleagues who have no other means of commuting and can do their jobs remotely are strongly encouraged to talk to their managers about working from home on Friday 16 June. Line managers are asked to accommodate requests wherever possible.

Volunteering at Graduation

Graduation is also around the corner, and volunteers are needed on Tuesday 18 July, Wednesday 19 July, Thursday 20 July, Friday 21 July and Monday 24 July. If you can spare some time on any of those days, please fill in this form.