Employee Service and Volunteer Recognition

Issued by: Chancellor's Office and Human Resources
Date Revised: 3/2003

Policy Objective

The policy on employee service* and volunteer recognition has two objectives:

  1. to acknowledge and recognize the contributions faculty and staff make to their communities and our societies through voluntary community service;

  2. to provide a mechanism for staff to participate in various educational partnerships that the campus undertakes to help improve elementary/secondary education.

Preamble

In addition to membership in the University of Michigan-Dearborn community, faculty and staff members participate in community service activities in their individual communities. Through these volunteer efforts, employees help to set an example of service and caring for University of Michigan-Dearborn students and contribute to the quality of life in our region. This policy recognizes and reinforces the value of faculty and staff service and volunteer activities to the community and to the University.

As a part of its strategic goals, the University of Michigan-Dearborn has committed itself to participating in partnership activities, with public schools and businesses to help improve elementary/secondary education. Staff members may wish to contribute their time and talent to these partnerships. This policy provides a mechanism for University of Michigan-Dearborn staff members to do so during the work day. In this way, they would be contributing to the achievement of one of the campus' important strategic goals.

Employee Service and Volunteer Recognition Program

I. Policy

The University of Michigan-Dearborn Human Resources and Affirmative Action Office will develop and implement an annual recognition program for community service activities of faculty and staff.** This program may include a community recognition event, awards for various amounts of time employees contribute to community service, publication of the hours University of Michigan-Dearborn employees contribute to community organizations and other appropriate means of recognition.

From time to time the Chancellor will designate various campus activities as "UM- Dearborn Service Projects."*** When required program activities take place during the work day, staff members who wish to participate in these programs will be permitted to use up to one hour of release time per week, plus travel time to and from the program site, to perform program-related service. Participation in UM-Dearborn Service Projects will be acknowledged in the volunteer recognition program.

II. Procedure

Information on the Volunteer Recognition Program will be distributed to all employees of the University of Michigan-Dearborn on an annual basis.

Information about UM-Dearborn Service Projects will be provided by the program coordinator or director, including information about the skills and tasks required for each program. Staff who are interested in the program should discuss their interest with their supervisor, who will determine participation based on staffing levels, office work load, staff performance and other relevant factors.

Supervisory approval is required in order to obtain release time for participation in these programs and schedules must be approved in advance by the supervisor.

Staff who participate and represent the campus in these programs will be invited to attend a training session, conducted by the Personnel Office. The training session will outline the guidelines for participation in partnership activities, which all participants will be expected to follow.

* To enable staff members to perform campus-related service activities during the work day, the employee service program is designed for staff only. The volunteer recognition program is intended to acknowledge and recognize the community service activities of faculty and staff.

** Community service refers to voluntary charitable activities that are not associated with the professional service obligations of faculty or staff and are not related to merit, tenure or promotion processes. The recognition of volunteer service will not entail disclosure or review of the community organizations to which employees contribute time or services.

*** At the current time, the UM-Dearborn Service Projects include the Wade McCree Incentive Scholarship Program, the Woodward School Partnership, the Granville Academy and the Ruddiman School Tutorial.

Policy owned by: Office of the Chancellor