From time-to-time, departments and programs of the College of Letters and Science wish to engage unpaid volunteers in various aspects of their activities, including but not limited to formal instruction. University policy allows this.

It is important to clarify, however, that departments should not rely on volunteers to perform duties typically performed by permanent employees or short term staffing. Volunteers should be supplementing the work done by employees rather than replacing paid staff. The contributions of volunteers should enhance existing programs. Concerns about program stability and continuity dictate that programs should not rely solely on volunteer efforts. In most cases, the College will not allow a volunteer to serve as the sole instructor of a course or courses on an on-going basis (more than one semester or summer session).

To request permission to appoint volunteers departments should follow procedures akin to personnel transactions.
Volunteer Instructional Staff (See below for information regarding non-instructional volunteers)

1. Contact your Associate Dean. When a situation arises wherein a volunteer offers instructional services to the department or unit and the department seeks to pursue the offer, consult with your Associate Dean to discuss preliminary terms.
2. Obtain approval from your Associate Dean. Once tentative terms have been agreed upon, submit a proposal to your Associate Dean (with a copy to James Hovland in 301 South Hall). The proposal should include:
   1. The terms of the relationship. Please describe the duties or services to be provided, begin date, end date, procedures for terminating the agreement prior to the designated end date, time commitment expected, etc. These terms should be approved by the departmental executive committee or its equivalent.
   2. Information about the volunteer. Include a statement attesting to the volunteer's qualifications for providing these services. This may include, for example, a vita or resume, letters of support from colleagues or peers who would work with the volunteer, etc.
   3. Justification for using a volunteer. Include a statement explaining why the use of the volunteer enhances the program or provides additional benefits to existing program features. Specify the title requested. Instructional volunteers will be appointed as zero-dollar academic staff (e.g., emeritus professor, lecturer, instructor); doing so allows them to be entered into the Integrated Appointment Data System (IADS), from which Instructor IDs are assigned.
3. When approved, send a confirmation letter to the Volunteer. To avoid any confusion about the terms of the relationship, the department should send a letter to the volunteer spelling out the begin date, end date, procedures for terminating the agreement prior to the designated end date, time commitment, responsibilities, whom to contact with questions and information about insurance coverage and ID cards. (Please see the sample confirmation letter.) This letter must be received and approved by James Hovland (301 South Hall; 3-8873) before it is sent to the volunteer. Include the Volunteer fact sheet with the confirmation letter and provide copies of the confirmation letter to the Dean, the Associate Dean, and the Assistant Dean for Human Resources.
4. Welcome the Volunteer into your organization.

All Other Volunteers

1. Contact Maggie Sullivan, the Assistant Dean for Human Resources, to discuss preliminary terms.
2. Submit a request to the Assistant Dean for Human Resources. The proposal should include:
   1. The terms of the relationship. Please describe the duties or services to be provided, begin date, end date, procedures for terminating the agreement prior to the designated end date, time commitment expected, etc. These terms should be approved by the departmental executive committee or its equivalent.
   2. Information about the volunteer. Include a statement attesting to the volunteer's qualifications for providing these services. This should include a vita or resume.
   3. Justification for using a volunteer. Include a statement explaining why the use of the volunteer enhances the program or provides additional benefits to existing program features. Specify the title requested. All Non-Instructional volunteers will be appointed as zero-dollar academic staff (e.g., outreach specialist, research specialist, instructional specialist, etc); doing so allows them to be entered into the Integrated Appointment Data System (IADS).
3. When approved, send a confirmation letter to the Volunteer. To avoid any confusion about the terms of the relationship, the department should send a letter to the volunteer spelling out the begin date, end date, time commitment, responsibilities, whom to contact with questions and information about ID cards. (Please see the sample confirmation letter.) This letter must be received and approved by Maggie Sullivan, the L&S Assistant Dean for Human Resources (205 South Hall; 3-2315) before it is sent to the volunteer. Include the Volunteer fact sheet with the confirmation letter and provide a copy of the confirmation letter to the Assistant Dean for Human Resources.
4. Welcome the Volunteer into your organization.

Based on September 2000 memo from the Academic Personnel Office; includes L&S-specific procedure
Updated 8/24/07.
Reviewed 8/6/09 by nwj.