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.
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
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.
- If you are anticipating volunteers the day of the event and they are not in a position of trust (POT) or a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations (POTVP) (refer to following section), you can complete the UWSP Non-POT Volunteer Form. You will need to provide a copy of the form to the volunteer. It is the supervisor or department’s responsibility to complete the above online e-form for each volunteer that completes a UWSP Non-POT Volunteer Paper Form within two (2) business days following the event.
Criminal, Financial, and Reference Check Requirements
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.
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.