Volunteer Positions
We strongly encourage you to volunteer for activities during your time at UCL. You can participate in important events in students’ life, by helping out at:- University Graduations, March and September.
- University Open Days, normally around the first weekend in July.
- Results hotlines, August.
These are great opportunities to support UCL’s strategic aims, meet colleagues from across the university and can be very fun. You will be provided with guidance and support before the day.
Academic events at UCL
You can engage with the university’s research and academic activities through a calendar of inspiring events happening across UCL such as regular public lectures, academic festivals and cultural events. These will be advertised on the UCL Events page. Highlights include:- Feed into UCL’s strategic objectives at a termly Town Hall.
UCL’s flagship Disagreeing Well campaign , featured in international news, aims to empower staff and students to discuss and debate with people who hold very different views.
Lunch hour lectures , which have been running since 1942, showcase the exceptional research work being undertaken across the university.
The campus comes alive with academic festivals. Look out for the Tech Staff Showcase (April), Engineering Festival (July), Bloomsbury Festival (October) and Being Human Festival (November).
Normally a teaching and research establishment, the UCL Observatory at Mill Hill holds free public open evenings, roughly fortnightly, on Fridays during the autumn and winter terms.
Every summer, the university celebrates the achievements of the community at a series of award ceremonies covering education, inclusion, sustainability and more.
Festive celebrations
Students’ Union UCL host several events throughout the year which staff are encouraged to attend.The Winter festival has become a seasonal highlight for many members of the UCL community with student performances, a light show and festive food and drink.
At Chanukah, the UCL Jewish Society light a special menorah on the portico, with a small service in the evening.
The Students’ Union lead UCL’s celebrations of Spring Festival.
Get out
UCL East 5K Runs : Part of UCL’s student life strategy initiative, the Campus Run brings together the UCL community and is open to staff, students and alumni of all levels of ability and experience.Student led tours of the UCL Bloomsbury campus are a great way to learn more about the university’s 200 year history and discover new spots. The team are in the process of arranging guided tours at UCL East campus and will update the webpage linked above with further details.
Quite possibly the most intense local rivalry ever, the London Varsity between UCL and Kings College (March) is legendary. Show your support for UCL students at a series of good natured but highly competitive sporting events taking place in venues across the city.
Performances and film
The School for the Creative and Cultural Industries (SCCI) host free screenings at One Pool Street Cinema, sharing the films that have inspired and influenced researchers, artists, and practitioners across UCL East’s creative community. Most recently they showed the 90s classic Point Break.One of UCL’s many unique aspects is that it’s the only university with a West End Theatre on campus. The Bloomsbury Theatre hosts a range of comedians, musical performances and UCL student performances.
The UCL Chamber Music Club and Community Choir are both open to UCL Staff (although the number of members is restricted). You can also attend free performances on campus.
Cultural highlights
UCL is home to several important museum collections including the Grant Museum of Zoology , Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology , the Rock Room and the A.G. Leventis Gallery of Cypriot and Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology in Bloomsbury. UCL East have also commissioned contemporary artists to create public art.There are changing displays and exhibitions across the Bloomsbury Campus. Regular exhibitions include:
The UCL Museums regularly host events , including activities for families during school holidays and at the weekends.
You can also take home amazing art, for a term, through the UCL Picture Club. The club owns over 170 contemporary works of art by current and former Slade staff and students funded by members’ subscriptions and revenue from sales. The annual subscription is currently £30.
Sustainability
At UCL we put people and planet first, to make #ChangePossible. You can join the university community at regular events linked to sustainability, including the annual 28 Days of Sustainability in Term 2.Watch out for the regular clothes swaps and sales of house plants and bikes on campus.
Other webpages
About The UCL Knowledge
This regular series of articles aims to provide a "user’s guide" to UCL, looking at tips and tricks to make everyday tasks easier, and highlighting staff benefits, networks and opportunities. Find more articles on our ’Life at UCL’ staff page.- University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT (0) 20 7679 2000
