Volunteers

Volunteers support UW-Stevens Point's mission and value for local and global communities. Volunteers may be community members, alumni, or retirees. An agency relationship with a volunteer will exist when there is a benefit to UW-Stevens Point and direction/control of the volunteer by UW-Stevens Point. The volunteer situation must support the UW-Stevens Point mission.

An individual does not need to be considered a volunteer when the individual is actively working and being paid as a UWSP Faculty/Staff or Student Employee, enrolled student, and/or contracted for payment or partnership via Financial Operations.

The resources and guidelines below are available to support volunteer success.

Prior to Having a Volunteer Start

If you are hosting events, camps, clinics, and the like at UWSP, you must register your activity at Event Request.

Ensure the responsibilities for volunteers are appropriate to the overall intent of volunteerism. A department should not rely on volunteers to perform duties that should be performed by employees on a regular basis. Volunteers should supplement the work done by employees or assist campus with outreach efforts and involvement, not replacing the overall need for compensated employees.

Volunteers are not compensated. Consult with

UWSP HR to determine employment status,

Financial Operations for contract/partnership relationship, and/or the Registrar's Office for student status, if/as needed.

Authorized expense reimbursements may be allowed for volunteers following financial policies and procedures.

Business Need Approvals

Student Organizations seeking to arrange volunteers must have Advisor and CASE approval.
All other volunteers must be approved by the applicable authorizing College or Department/Unit. Prior to offering a volunteer arrangement, the supervisor of the volunteer must consult with their supervisor and the department's Vice Chancellor (or Designee). Thus, at least two individuals must be consulted prior to completing a volunteer request and agreement (see below).

Designee on behalf of the Vice Chancellor is Department Director, Associate/Assistant Dean, Dean, or Associate Vice Chancellor.
Individual departments may determine their own approval process as long as the minimum approval level is met. If additional multiple approvals are needed, please use email or a DocuSign flow to document the approvals.

Volunteer Request and Agreement

The

Volunteer Request and Agreement shall be completed by the authorizing department or Student Organization for all UW-Stevens Point volunteers. Once completed, HR will retain the agreement.

If the volunteer is a minor, additional steps will be required. Steps include, but are not limited to parent/guardian permissions, background checks for those entrusted with the minor’s care (contact us for guidance), work limitations (no hazardous work allowed), etc. See the UWS Minors on Campus and UWSP Minor Protection and Adult Leadership webpage. Having a minor be a volunteer should be limited. A minor also cannot do duties that involve being in a Position of Trust. A volunteer request and agreement must be submitted at least one month before the volunteer activity/service starts to ensure a review and completion of all safety requirements before the event/service.

Individuals volunteering for activities not related to the campus mission or those not specifically under UWSP control, but still associated with campus shall complete a Program Waiver instead of the written volunteer request and agreement. These individuals are not considered UWSP volunteers and are therefore not afforded liability protection. Contact Human Resources for consultation in determining proper classification and waiver.

Volunteers that are in a position of trust (POT) or a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations (POTVP) are subject to the UWS background check requirements and a reference check prior to starting depending on the duties they will have. If checks are required, plan for at least two weeks for all checks and approvals to be completed prior to the volunteer start date.

See the

UWSP Criminal Background Check Policy and the

UW System Administrative Policy 625: Youth Protection to determine if the volunteer will need a background check conducted. Use the

Background Check Request to request the check.

Reference checks are encouraged for all volunteers who are not current UWS or UWSP employees. When a volunteer will be in a Position of Trust with access to Vulnerable Populations or an Individual with Access to Minors, a reference check must be completed in accordance with

UWS Recruitment Policies by the supervisor of the volunteer. Once completed, the reference check needs to be submitted to HR.

Additional Considerations When Thinking About Having a Volunteer:

Volunteers must be properly supervised by the authorizing department or Student Organization. This means that a volunteer should not be present at a location when the supervisor is not available at the location. We understand in rare situations a volunteer may be providing services (such as animal care) in which supervision is not realistic. In those situations, the volunteer should be designated as a POT and a POT-VP or an Individual with Access to Minors. See CBC and Reference Check section above.

Additionally, there is a check-in requirement for supervision. See the Once a Volunteer is Approved section for details.

Once a Volunteer is Approved

Training and orientation (including all necessary safety training) shall be completed for the volunteer by the authorizing department upon acceptance of the volunteer. Document key issues/concerns as necessary.

Volunteers are expected to comply with all applicable UWS and UWSP policies related to conduct, compliance, and safety. Policies are located via the Human Resources Policies page. For an initial listing, see the Volunteer Policy Compliance section on this website.

Additionally, each day (or week) the volunteer is providing service, there should be a check-in/discussion with the direct supervisor.

If a volunteer or supervisor has questions about a particular policy applying to a volunteer, contact hr@uwsp.edu or 715-346-2606.

Insurance

Liability protection is provided to all officers, employees, and agents of the University under Wisconsin Statute, Section 895.46(1). Authorized Volunteers acting under the direction and control of the University and for its benefit are considered agents and thus covered. This statute authorizes the State to pay claims based on the negligent acts of employees or agents or to defend employees or agents against allegations of negligence, which may have caused injury or property damage to others provided the employee or agent was acting within the scope of their responsibilities to the University. The department is required to report any potential liability claim and/or incident promptly toUWSP HR andUWSP Financial Operations.

Volunteers are not covered by worker’s compensation or generally any other UWSP accident, health, or disability program. Also, the State of WI/UW-Stevens Point carries no premise medical or accident payment insurance. Therefore it is important for all volunteers to have their own personal insurance in effect while volunteering at UW-Stevens Point.

No property insurance is provided by UWSP/State to volunteer’s personal property.

Vehicle Use

Authorized volunteers acting within the scope of the agency may operate a UW-Stevens Point fleet vehicle if they meet all driver authorization requirements and follow all requirements. See Transportation Services for details. They must be an authorized volunteer and operate within the scope of their agency when driving the vehicle. Authorized volunteers may also ride in UW-Stevens Point fleet vehicles upon authorization by Principal Human Resources Officer or designee.

Volunteer Policy Compliance

Volunteers are required to comply with UW-Stevens Point and UW System policies. The most critical policies are listed below. However, other policies may be pertinent and the department is responsible for ensuring the volunteer reviews all relevant policies.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation

Environmental, Occupational Health, and Safety Policies (Review each topic for policies and procedures)

Financial Operation Policies and Procedures (Department to indicate what is relevant)

Information Technology Policies (Relevant if the volunteer has access to any data for the department, UWSP, or UWS)

Report Child Abuse

Tobacco-free Campus

Workplace Conduct Expectations