How to Effectively Manage a University Buddy Programme

1. Give Your Buddy Programme a Clear Structure

An effective buddy programme starts with a structure that makes it easy for students to participate and for university staff to coordinate activities.

At Umeå University, international students are assigned to buddy groups, each supported by experienced students who help organise activities and introduce newcomers to university life.

The university typically runs 16 to 20 groups per semester, each with approximately 30 to 40 international students and 8 to 12 buddies.

The buddies are generally Swedish students or international students who have already spent several years at Umeå. They organise weekly or biweekly activities, giving new students regular opportunities to meet people and explore their surroundings.

This group-based approach distributes responsibilities among several buddies rather than relying on one person to support every incoming student.

When designing your own programme, consider how many students each group should accommodate, how many buddies are needed and who will be responsible for organising activities.

A clear structure helps everyone understand their responsibilities from the beginning.

2. Keep Communication in One Student Community

One of the biggest challenges in managing a buddy programme is making sure information reaches everyone.

Students may use different social media platforms depending on their country, preferences or familiarity with particular apps. When a programme relies on several channels, important announcements can become difficult to follow.

Umeå experienced this firsthand. Some international students weren't using the same social media platforms, meaning the Buddy Coordinator had to distribute information across several channels.

"It was just a bit difficult to keep an eye on all the communication. We also use multiple different platforms."

Because the university had already been using Goin' since 2022, it decided to bring its Buddy Programme into the same community, allowing students and buddies to communicate in one familiar environment.

"All of our international students are already in the Goin' community. Why don't we introduce the buddies into Goin and use the private chat function as our buddy chats?"

Keeping programme communication together makes information easier to find and reduces the need for staff to repeat announcements across different platforms.

3. Create Dedicated Spaces for Buddy Groups and Announcements

Buddy programmes involve different types of communication. Students need spaces to chat informally, buddies need to coordinate activities and programme coordinators need a reliable way to share important announcements.

Trying to manage all three in the same conversation can quickly become confusing.

For the autumn 2026 semester, Umeå University created 18 private buddy group chats in Goin'. Each group has a dedicated space where buddies and international students can communicate.

For example, when organising an international dinner, buddies can post the event details, pin the message, and ask students to react if they plan to attend. Students also share photos and experiences from activities afterwards, helping the conversations continue beyond the events themselves.

Alongside these private groups, Umeå created a separate announcement channel where only programme coordinators can post. Students can react to updates without filling the channel with replies.

As Gwen explains:

"The feed becomes a lot less cluttered. So it's a lot cleaner, smoother communication."

Separating group conversations from official programme announcements makes it easier for students to find relevant information and for staff to communicate efficiently.

4. Give Buddies the Tools and Guidance to Take Ownership

Buddies are responsible for creating opportunities for international students to connect. Giving them clear instructions and the right tools helps them manage their groups confidently.

At Umeå, buddies use their private group chats to organise events, share information and communicate directly with international students.

However, introducing the platform also brought an important learning: some buddies needed more guidance because they weren't previously familiar with it.

Before launching your programme, show buddies how to use the communication platform, organise activities and share important information. Explain why the platform is being used and where they can get support.

The better prepared buddies are, the less they need to rely on university staff for day-to-day coordination.

5. Gather Feedback and Improve Each Semester

Even well-established buddy programmes benefit from regular feedback.

Students' communication preferences change, new buddies join each semester and programme coordinators discover new ways to improve the experience.

At Umeå, the decision to bring the Buddy Programme into Goin' began with feedback about the existing communication channels.

Before introducing the change, the university also consulted its Buddy Coordinator and students to understand whether they were open to trying a different approach.

The response was positive, giving the team confidence to move forward.

During the first semester, the university has continued gathering feedback from students and buddies, identifying technical issues and working with Goin's Customer Success team on improvements.

Gwen describes the process as an opportunity to learn.

"We're all learning. It's all that this semester is about kind of testing, seeing what works and coming with improvements, seeing what you guys can do, seeing what we can do better."

For universities managing their own programmes, feedback can help identify whether students are receiving important information, how buddies are using their groups and where additional support is needed.

It can also be useful to review participation in activities, engagement within buddy groups and the workload involved in managing the programme.

These insights can inform improvements for the following semester.

Bonus: Reduce Administrative Work for Programme Coordinators

Buddy programmes often depend on a small number of staff members who oversee a large number of student groups.

Coordinating communication, answering questions and supporting activities can take considerable time, particularly when information is spread across different channels.

Moving communication into one community simplifies that process.

"Now by using only one, it's made the buddy coordinator's job a lot easier as well."

For Umeå, another important benefit is the additional support and moderation available through Goin'.

Unlike traditional social media, the platform provides community guidelines, moderation processes and a dedicated support team.

"It feels a lot safer and it feels a lot more controlled. So that's been a really, really big benefit of moving."

Having clear communication structures and access to support allows coordinators to spend less time managing channels and more time helping the programme run successfully.

Build on the Community Students Already Have

A well-organised buddy programme gives international students opportunities to make friends, participate in activities and feel more comfortable in their new surroundings.

At Umeå University, bringing the Buddy Programme into an existing student community has made communication easier for both students and staff, while connecting organised buddy activities with the friendships students can begin building before arrival.

The key is to keep the programme structured, communication accessible and responsibilities clear.

Want to see how Umeå University put this into practice? Read our full case study on how the university brought its Buddy Programme into Goin'.

About Goin'

Goin' is a friendship and community platform for higher education, helping universities strengthen student recruitment, engagement and retention with little additional effort from their teams.

By connecting prospective and admitted students with their peers, Goin' helps students build friendships, find answers and feel more confident about their decision to enrol.

Universities can also use Goin' to organise student communities, support buddy programmes and bring student communication into one dedicated platform.

Interested in managing your university's buddy programme through Goin'? Get in touch with our team.