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Vice President for
Ethics and Compliance
 

Administrative Manual on University Volunteers

These guidelines supplement the University’s policy on Volunteers (VI.B.2). Please refer specific questions to the appropriate contacts listed in the policy.

Table of Contents

  1. Assessment of Volunteer Services to be Provided
    1. Prohibited Volunteer Services
    2. Services Not Requiring a Volunteer Agreement
    3. Services Requiring a Volunteer Agreement
  2. Screening Volunteers
    1. Volunteer Registration and Verification
    2. Minors as Volunteers
    3. Checking the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
    4. Checking the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry
    5. Verification of a Match
  3. Volunteer Agreements
  4. Additional Background Screening
  5. Reimbursement of Expenses
  6. Annual Reports

Appendix A – Sample Volunteer Registration Form (Word)

Appendix B – Sample Consent to Volunteer Form (Word)

Appendix C – Sample Volunteer Agreement and Release (Word)

 

  1. Assessment of Volunteer Services to be Provided

    Departments/units are advised to consider the following questions prior to enlisting the services of a Volunteer.
    • Is the task clear enough to be understood?
    • Are duties and responsibilities clear?
    • What resources are available for this assignment?
    • Who will be the advisor or supervisor for the Volunteer?
    • How long will the Volunteer position last?
    • What qualifications are required?
    • What are the benefits to the Volunteer?
    • What are the expectations from this position?
    The following lists are intended to serve as a guide to departments/units when assessing the services a Volunteer may be expected to provide and are not considered comprehensive or exhaustive. Departments/units must consult with Human Resources with regard to specific tasks or activities to determine their appropriateness.
      1. Prohibited Volunteer Services

        Volunteers may not perform any service that places the Volunteer, the University or the community in substantial risk, including:
        • Any activity considered inappropriate for an employee
        • Operating heavy equipment
        • Work with hazardous materials
        • Work with or having access to export-controlled materials
        • Entry into any contract on behalf of the University
        • Commitment of the expenditure of University funds
      2. Services Not Requiring a Volunteer Agreement

        In general, services that involve the following types of activities do not require a completed Volunteer Agreement.
        • Clerical work
        • Greeting or directing individuals at a University event
        • Phone-a-thon services
        • Distributing or collecting items at a University event
        • Public speaker
      3. Services Requiring a Volunteer Agreement

        Services that involve the following types of activities or access require a completed Volunteer Agreement. Refer to section 3 for more information on Volunteer Agreements.
        • Key access to a building or facility
        • Direct contact with minors or other vulnerable populations (e.g., patients, persons with mental disabilities)
        • Direct contact with animals
        • Access to cash, cash equivalents, checks, credit card account information or financial information of any kind
        • Access to protected, personal or other sensitive data or other confidential information
        • Work in a laboratory
        • Work in a facility in which biological, chemical, radiological or other hazardous materials are present
        • Services that require travel of any kind (driver or passenger)
        • Professional services
  2. Screening Volunteers

    Each department/unit may choose to either create and maintain its own database for storing and reporting on Volunteer screenings or use the Online Volunteer Screening Verification Submission Form provided by Human Resources. Units that choose to create their own database must record the following data::
    • Volunteer’s name
    • Volunteer’s home address
    • Volunteer’s date of birth
    • Certification that a photo ID was used to verify the individual’s identity
    • Name of the employee who verified the ID
    • Date the state registry check was performed
    • Date the national registry check was performed
    • Results of the registry checks
    • Name of employee(s) who performed the checks
    • A copy of any match found on either registry
      1. Volunteer Registration and Verification

        All potential Volunteers are required to complete a Volunteer Registration Form or, in the case of a minor, a Consent to Volunteer Form. Sample forms can be found in Appendices A and B. The department/unit must verify the potential Volunteer’s name and date of birth provided on the form against a government-issued photo ID and perform the Sex and Violent Offender Registry Check.
      2. Minors as Volunteers

        Individuals under the age of 18 may only provide services that do not require a completed Volunteer Agreement (see section 1.C above); the same applies to parents or guardians who are supervising a dependent child under the age of 15. This provision does not apply to minors who serve as volunteers in 4-H programs.

        If the parent or legal guardian will be supervising the minor, the minor must provide a photo ID (government-issued or otherwise) for verification and the parent or guardian must provide a government-issued photo ID for verification. The department/unit must perform the Sex and Violent Offender Registry Check on both the minor and the parent or guardian.
      3. Checking the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
        1. Visit the registry website: www.nsopw.gov/Core/Portal.aspx
        2. Click the option to search for sex offenders.
        3. Read the conditions of use and agree to them.
        4. Search for the individual’s name.
        5. If a match(es) is found, click on the name to see the detailed information and verify whether it is the same person.
      4. Checking the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry
        1. Visit the registry website: www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=54663&disc=
        2. Use the search by name.
        3. If a match(es) is found, go into the details to verify whether it is the same person.
      5. Verification of a Match

        In the event the potential Volunteer’s information matches a record on one of the registries that individual may not volunteer. The department/unit will need to forward the information to its campus Human Resources department for further verification. Only if Human Resources is able to determine that the person listed on the registry and the potential Volunteer are not the same person may the individual volunteer.
  3. Volunteer Agreements

    If a Volunteer will be providing services that require a Volunteer Agreement (see section 1.C above), the department/unit must consult with human resources regarding language that should be included in the agreement. The agreement must be signed before any services are provided by the Volunteer, and annually thereafter if the Volunteer provides ongoing services.
  4. Additional Background Screening

    Any services that require the completion of a Volunteer Agreement (see section 1.C above) may also be services for which it would be in the best interest of the University to require additional background screening. Human Resources will assist departments/units in assessing the need for additional screening, which may include the following:
    • Educational Verification
    • License Verification
    • Employment Verification
    • Credit History Check
    • Criminal History Check
    • Limited Criminal History Check
    Departments/units must consult with Human Resources prior to conducting any additional background screening in order to ensure appropriate procedures are followed. The cost for background screening will be borne by the department/unit.
  5. Reimbursement of Expenses

    Departments/units may reimburse Volunteers for actual and reasonable expenses in accordance with standard university reimbursement policies and procedures. Reimbursements are not a form of compensation nor are they linked to productivity or the performance of services.
  6. Annual Reports

    Departments/Units utilizing the Online Volunteer Screening Verification Submission Form provided by Human Resources to track their Volunteer registry checks will receive in February of each year a copy of the annual report run by Human Resources of all checks performed for the previous calendar year.


    Departments/Units maintaining their own databases are required to submit to Human Resources by January 31 of each year a report that includes the following information for each registry check performed during the previous calendar year:

    • Volunteer’s name
    • Volunteer’s date of birth
    • Certification that a photo ID was used to verify the individual’s identity
    • Date the state registry check was performed
    • Date the national registry check was performed
    • Results of the registry checks
    • A copy of any match found on either registry