Career Services Center
Agency Benefits
Student & Agency Benefits
Students are strongly encouraged to consider volunteer opportunities as a way to provide a service to others, complement their academic experience, and contribute to their personal development. Students who consistently participate in volunteer opportunities develop and build upon their personal skills and professional development.
Personal Benefits
According to the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP), more than three quarters (79%) of volunteers said that their volunteer activities helped them with their interpersonal skills, such as understanding people better, motivating others, and dealing with difficult situations. Just over two thirds (68%) of volunteers said that volunteering helped them to develop better communication skills and 63% reported increased knowledge about issues related to their volunteering.
Educational Benefits
Community Service-Learning (CSL) has been shown to have positive effects on academic performance (including GPA, writing skills, and critical thinking skills), values (e.g., commitment to activism and to promoting racial understanding), self-efficacy, leadership, choice of a service career, and plans to participate in service after graduation.
Professional Benefits
Volunteer work can demonstrate many skills that employers find desirable, such as organization, leadership, teamwork, flexibility and commitment. In addition, it shows that you have a balanced lifestyle, where you have integrated a focus on helping others, being part of your community, and providing service to those who need it. Many employers appreciate volunteerism as a sign of commitment to causes that you value. Since volunteers are not paid, this also demonstrates your willingness to be there because you want to be there, not because you’re getting paid to be there.
Many volunteer positions provide you with skills that are directly transferable to the workplace.
If you should have a period of unemployment on your resume, volunteer activities can help to bridge the gap, and show that you were productively occupied (even if not employed) during that time. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/volunteerism_topic/87741
What students gain...
1. Meet new people, make new friends, and establish campus and community contacts
2. Explore and expand areas of interests
3. Develop and expand leadership skills
4. Receive official verification of service hours for scholarships, awards, and job opportunities
5. Foster new attitudes, perceptions and concepts of our community
6. Enhance classroom experience by applying knowledge and experience gained through volunteering
7. Develop skills to improve career marketability after graduation
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What community agencies gain..
1. The opportunity to expand their mission and reach without substantially increasing costs by engaging a cadre of competent, motivated young people
2. Greater number of citizens who understand the social needs facing our neighbors and take on the role of advocate
3. Increased human resources to enhance our community
4. Improved campus and community relations
5. Ongoing citizen support for the University and our community
6. New energy, ideas, and enthusiasm as well as specialized skills that young people can bring to the organization.
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Tracking and Recording Volunteer Hours
The Volunteer Services Program requires all students who participate in a service to complete a Volunteer Log. Before or after you have participated in a volunteer activity, whether on your own, through a student organization or as part of your course curriculum, stop by the Volunteer Services Program in the Office of Career Service to submit your Log. All Logs must be completely filled out and signed by the person who served as your supervisor. The Volunteer Services Program will keep your Logs on file but it is your responsibility to keep track of your activities and hours and include them on your resume and co-curricular transcript.
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Community Agencies
Access a comprehensive database of community agencies/organizations and volunteer projects from our local community that are interested in working with the students, staff, faculty and employees at Fayetteville State University. Simply access this database online at Community Agencies.
Volunteer Partner Process
Provided below are three (3) steps for you to follow. We value your partnership and want to provide you with the best support and process in order to ensure you are able to create the same for our students.
1. COMPLETE and submit the Volunteer Partner Registration Form .
2. REGISTER (once your application has been approved by the Volunteer Services Program) on Bronco Career Link https://uncfsu-csm.symplicity.com/employers/index.php?cck=1&au=&ck= and post any volunteer opportunities you have available.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
3. CONDUCT scheduled training/orientation sessions with new student volunteers. The Volunteer Services Program will assist you in obtaining an on-campus training site. Please contact us at least 10 business days prior to your expected orientation/training. Training/Orientation sessions are MANDATORY and must begin no later than 4:30pm and end no later than 5:30pm. You can fax a copy of your scheduled training/orientation to 672-1684 or email it to Tamara K. Taylor at tktaylor@uncfsu.edu.
4. POST volunteer announcements on Bronco Career Link throughout the academic school year.
5. ENSURE that your student volunteers submit their signed volunteer log no later than the last Friday of every month.
***The Volunteer Services Program conducts quarterly evaluations in which student volunteer information will be needed.***
Things to Consider before Utilizing Student Volunteers
1. Academics are our students’ first priority. FSU’s academic schedule and calendar differs from most organizations' work schedules; therefore, please be mindful of the students’ class schedule. For your convenience you may view our 2009-10 academic calendar.
2. Communicate the needs of your organization up front. While student volunteers are not paid employees of your organization, it is imperative that you inform your prospective volunteer of your values and standards and the commitment required in order to ensure that they are an ideal match.
3. Transportation Volunteer Services does not provide transportation. Please keep in mind that freshman residential students are not permitted to have cars on campus. If you are willing to provide transportation please provide a waiver of liability form to this office that students must sign.
Tracking and Recording Volunteer Hours
The Volunteer Services Program requires all students who participate in a service to complete a Volunteer Log. All Logs must be completely filled out by the student, signed by you the supervisor and submitted to this office no later than the last Friday of every month.
For more information regarding the Volunteer Services Program, please contact: Tamara K. Taylor, Coordinator for Student Professional Development at (910) 672-1706 or tktaylor@uncfsu.edu.