Use of Volunteers

1.0 POLICY, PURPOSE and SCOPE

It is the policy of SUNY Old Westbury (College) to establish guidelines for the occasional use of Volunteers in the conduct of its normal operations and for College-sponsored programs and activities. The College may accept the services of a volunteer provided the terms of this policy are met. In its sole discretion, College may refuse, decline or discontinue the services of a volunteer for non-discriminatory reasons.

2.0 RESPONSIBILITIES

2.1 The Sponsor is the employee responsible for preparing the proposal that requests the use of a Volunteer. The Sponsor verifies the information provided by the applicant and ensures that the proposal contains all of the required information before submitting it to his or her Supervisor for review.

2.2 The Supervisor is responsible for reviewing the proposal submitted by the Sponsor and determining if the request should be forwarded to the next level supervisor, Vice President or Department Head based on reasonableness and need. The Supervisor also ensures that the College’s Volunteer Registration Form (Exhibit 1) is properly completed.

2.3 The Vice President or Department Head is responsible for reviewing the proposal from the Supervisor, and if deemed acceptable, recommending the Volunteer to the Office of Human Resources for use in the capacity described in the proposal.

2.4 The Office of Human Resources has overall responsibility for administration of this policy and the official appointment of the Volunteer for service to the College. The Office of Human Resources also maintains a list of all campus Volunteers according to State regulations.

2.5 The Auxiliary Service Corporation (ASC), through the Panther Center ID Office, is responsible for issuance of a College identification card to the Volunteer.

3.0 DEFINITIONS

3.1 Volunteer – An individual who provides direct services in support of the College’s programs or activities without promise, expectation or receipt of compensation. A Volunteer is not an employee for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act however she/he may be paid expenses, reasonable benefits, nominal fees, or a combination of these. Proposed Volunteers may be members of the public, alumni or retired faculty or staff members.

3.2. A Vice President is considered to be any member of the President’s Cabinet.

3.3 A Department Head is considered to be any of the following: the Chief of University Police; and the Chief Information Officer.

4.0 PROCEDURE

4.1 Sponsors wishing to utilize a volunteer must submit a signed, written proposal to their supervisor. Such proposal should:

a. describe the work to be performed.

b. indicate the duration of the assignment.

c. identify the responsible department and individual(s) supervising the assignment.

d. contain at least two letters of recommendation and a current resume; the Sponsor will check the references named in the letters of recommendation prior to the official appointment of the applicant.

4.2 The Supervisor will review the proposal.

a. If the proposal is not approved, it should be returned to the previous Supervisor or Sponsor who in turn should notify the proposed volunteer.

b. If the proposal is approved by the Supervisor, he or she should sign it and submit it to the next level of supervision or to the area Vice President or Department Head for review and recommendation.

4.3 The Vice President or Department Head will review the proposal based on reasonableness and need.

a. If the proposal not approved, the Vice President or Department Head should return it to the Supervisor indicating the reason(s) for non approval. The Supervisor will, in turn, return the proposal to the sponsor who in turn notifies the proposed volunteer.

b. If the proposal is approved, the Vice President or Department Head should forward it along with his or her recommendation to the Office of Human Resources.

4. 4. The Office of Human Resources reviews the proposal and:

1. ascertains that proper sign-offs (approvals) have been obtained.

2. notifies the Vice President or Department Head if the applicant has been approved or disapproved for the volunteer assignment and returns the form to the requesting Vice President or Department Head.

3. advises the Volunteer of a date, time and location for processing into the College System of Volunteer Workers.

4.5 When processing the Volunteer into the College System, the Office of Human Resources:

a. requires the Volunteer to show proper identification such as a driver’s license, picture identification card or another form of identification containing a current address.

b. ensures that the Volunteer signs and dates the Volunteer Registration Form (Exhibit 1).

c. reviews the Volunteer Registration Form for completeness and signs as the final approving authority for the College.

d. adds the Volunteer’s name to the campus’ list of all Volunteer Workers.

e. provides a signed copy of the Volunteer Registration Form to the Volunteer and advises the Volunteer to report to the Panther Center ID Office, Campus Center, H-140, to obtain a College identification card.

4.6. The ASC will issue the Volunteer a College identification card upon presentation of the signed copy of the Volunteer Registration Form. Date restrictions will be encoded into the card and it will be valid only during the period of volunteer service.

4.7 The ASC will notify the Office of Human Resources after issuance of the College Identification card.

4.8 At the end of the assignment, Sponsor collects the Volunteer’s Identification card and returns it to the ASC.

5.0 REFERENCES

The following authoritative documents were referenced in the preparation of this policy:

1. SUNY Human Resources Definition of Volunteers

2. NYS Workers’ Compensation Law.

3. NYS Public Officer’s Law – Section 17.

6.0 APPROVALS

This policy amends the “Use of Volunteers on Campus” policy issued January 8, 2003. It was prepared by the Division of Business & Finance in consultation with the Office of Human Resources, and reviewed by the President’s Cabinet prior to approval by the President.