Just Ask! Helping new students navigate their earliest days at UCC

Starting university at UCC can be an exciting adventure, but for new students, navigating an unfamiliar campus, finding lecture rooms, and knowing where to turn for support can feel overwhelming. Starting this year, a new programme is helping to make those first steps a little easier: a badge that simply says “Ask Me.”

The Just Ask! initiative, developed by UCC Peer Support Coordinator Damian Butler and championed by UCC’s Student Peer Support Leaders, aims to make support more visible and accessible by empowering students and staff to signal that they are approachable and ready to help. Proudly supported by the UCC Alumni Fund, the project demonstrates how the generosity of alumni and friends can make a tangible difference for students from the moment they step foot on campus.

The idea is simple: when students see someone wearing an “Ask Me” badge (also available as Gaeilge, reading “Fiafraigh Díom”), they know they have someone they can approach. Whatever they need, that small invitation can make a big difference.

For Student Peer Support Leader James, the impact has already been clear.

“Before the badges, students weren't always sure who they could approach,” he reflected. “Now they just walk up and ask. It's broken the ice in a way I didn't expect, and I've had far more conversations in my first few weeks because of it.”

For first-year international student Ben, the badge offered reassurance at a particularly daunting moment.

“I was lost in my first week and didn't know where to go for my first lecture,” he shared. “Then I saw someone with an “Ask Me” badge and thought, okay, they actually want me to ask. They pointed me in the right direction and made the whole thing feel a lot less scary. Thank you.”

Building an Inclusive Culture

The initiative is designed to reach across the university community, with an open call inviting both students and staff to join as “Ask Me” badge wearers. Participants receive training covering supportive conversations, appropriate boundaries, referral pathways, confidentiality, LGBTQ+ allyship, and inclusive practice.

Crucially, badge wearers are not expected to solve every problem themselves. Instead, they will help students and colleagues connect with the right services through Student Central and ASK@UCC.

The initiative also provides stickers that highlight languages spoken and allyships of individual badge wearers. As Damian explains, “I wanted new students to know that they matter and that they belong here in UCC.”

The lasting impact of alumni generosity

With badges distributed ahead of this year’s Orientation and worn throughout the crucial first weeks of the semester, Just Ask! is already a familiar part of the UCC experience. The badges will now appear every semester, as well as at key transition points throughout the academic year, such as exams, Open Day, or conferrings.

By supporting this initiative, the UCC Alumni Fund is helping to build a campus where asking for help feels natural, connections form earlier, and every student has a greater chance to feel welcome.

Sometimes, making a difference begins with something small: a badge, a friendly face, and the confidence to just ask.

Learn about more projects supported by the UCC Alumni Fund, and how you can contribute, by visiting the UCC Alumni Fund web page.