Roles
Ambassadors serve as representatives of the SPP Dean and the Director of External Engagement, giving students a glimpse of what it would be like to serve as government appointees (akin to U.S. Ambassadors who are appointed officials in the executive branch). The experience also provides students a better understanding of the differences between being in elected and appointed office, as well as between being a policy maker and a policy implementer.
Ambassadors are charged with cultivating relationships with the SPP’s various external customers, be they prospective donors, government officials, community leaders or other special guests of the SPP. They are also highly involved in various public-facing events and activities meant to engage the community.
Responsibilities
Undergraduate ambassadors are required to staff a minimum of four SPP-hosted events and activities per quarter, and graduate ambassadors are required to staff a minimum of two.
This includes duties such as event promotion, setup and teardown, emceeing or moderating, staffing guests, escorting guests, registration check-in, A/V tech support, and any other duties in support of providing an exceptional brand experience to customers.
Additionally each ambassador must participate in workgroups that align with the SPP’s business needs and branding and public relations efforts. Please see more information about workgroups below.
The ambassador program is a commitment, and it is an applicant's responsibility to understand the expectations of the program before applying.
2026-2027 Workgroups
To give ambassadors a well-rounded experience during their service, they will work in a different workgroup each quarter on a rotation basis. They will be trained for each workgroup. The 2026-2027 workgroups are:
Marketing & Communications
- General SPP, events, and podcast social media support
- Execution of marketing tactics outlined in special project strategic plans
- Marketing research projects (e.g. competitive intel gathering, SWOT, environmental scans)
Special Projects & Meetings
- Execution of tactics related to special projects assigned to the External Engagement Office
- Support for Dean’s and Director’s meetings with special guests, including briefing documents, guest intel research, staffing charts, thank you letters, etc.
Logistics & Outreach
- Logistics work for upcoming events, including name badge assembly, equipment and inventory maintenance, venue walkthroughs, briefing documents, staffing charts, cue books, emcee rehearsals, etc.
- Logistics work for upcoming podcast recordings, including guest research, briefing documents, studio setup, teardown, interviews
- Direct email marketing from ambassadors, including drafting email templates
- Printed promotions (J’List and setting flyer postings and leave-behinds across campus)
Tech
- Podcast video and audio recording, video and audio editing, transcriptions, minor podcast website maintenance edits
- Events and meetings A/V support and/or liaising as needed
- Photography and videography assistance
- Minor graphic design support
Other duties as assigned
- All workgroups might also engage in work not listed above in service to the SPP and the External Engagement Office
Mission & Vision
Serving the external engagement team of the UCR School of Public Policy as brand ambassadors, our mission is to:
- Actively build brand awareness for the School
- Increase its brand reputation
- Provide an exceptional brand experience for all our customers
Our vision as ambassadors is to:
- Influence and inspire current and future generations of public policy students by role modeling our shared values through leadership and by example.
What Does the Commitment Entail?
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Requirements
- You must be available for the entirety of the academic year you are applying for. You must remain for all quarters of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and at least late summer) for each year of service.
- You must sign a photo/video release. As the face of the School, you must allow use of your image to be used for School purposes.
- You must sign consent to allow FERPA-trained personnel to review your academic record for the purposes of verifying demonstration of continuing academic excellence.
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How many hours per week of work do Ambassadors put in?
- Ambassadors are required to put in an average of four hours per week, however they often opt to put in more hours. These four hours can be fulfilled with events and activities that best fit your schedule.
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What does the overall commitment look like?
- Undergo orientation (five days) and performance evaluations during your first quarter
- Staff ambassadorial events (seminars, panels, conferences, etc.) and/or participate in ambassadorial activities (projects, podcast interviews, etc.) - minimum 4 for undergraduates and minimum 2 for MPPs
- Participate in required all-hands meetings every quarter
- Participate in workgroup meetings and activities for the entirety of the year; workgroups are charged with particular external-facing projects as dictated by business needs
- Participate in marketing and outreach activities to get the word out about events, activities, and news from the School and its partners (e.g. via social media, email, etc.)
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Is the commitment manageable?
- Yes! Most of our Ambassadors participate in a variety of clubs and outside organizations in addition to being Dean’s Ambassadors. Also, because Ambassadors are only required to complete an average of four hours per week, they are able to complete those hours when they best fit their existing commitments.