Campus Partner FAQ

• How can the Students in Service program work on my campus?
• How does the recruitment and orientation process work?
• Who presents the orientations?
• How often are orientations presented?
• Will I be the only Campus Partner on my campus?
• What are the specific responsibilities of a Member and/or Site Supervisor?
• Will I need to fill out any forms for the Members?
• Can I or should I serve as a Site Supervisor to any Students in Service Members?
• What service activities are appropriate or not appropriate?
• What are some specific examples of what service Members can do?
• Can a Member’s position be paid?
• Who is responsible for completing and sending paperwork?
• What if there is a concern with the quality or nature of the Member’service activities?
• Is serving in a soup kitchen that is located in a church considered a “prohibited activity”?
• How does an agency or organization benefit from hosting an AmeriCorps Member?
• Can documents be faxed?
• Will AmeriCorps or Campus Compact staff visit my campus?
• What are “Great Stories”?

How can the Students in Service program work on my campus?

One program goal is for Students in Service to be accessible to as many students as possible. To that end, Campus Compact staff will work with you to identify the level of support you would like for your campus. If your campus is not yet a member of Campus Compact, the first step is to work with you, and your institution’s President to enroll as a member of Campus Compact.

The Students in Service program is designed to operate using a train-the-trainer model. We understand campuses have varying resources to promote this program, and we have a structure that can be tailored to meet your campus’ individual needs.

Campus Compact will provide you, the Campus Partner (CP), with marketing materials to support recruitment efforts on your campus. Campus Compact will train you and any additional staff you identified to work with this program to give In-Person Program Orientations. We will give you a “script” for the orientation to ensure consistent and complete information is provided to potential Members. You will then be able to orient students on an as-needed basis. You can also use the user-friendly website that has the information you need to administer the SIS program on your campus. If you have questions you can contact the SIS Program Director at any time.

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How does the recruitment and orientation process work?

Your state Campus Compact has established a process for recruitment and orientation, and a representative will work with you to adapt it to meet your program’s/campus’s needs. Campus Compact will provide you recruitment materials. In addition, best practices (partnering with Work Study staff, presenting at service fairs, presenting in service-learning courses, etc.) will be provided and support offered to tailor best practices to your program/campus.

Students interested in the program must first complete the Online Pre-Service Overview by going to www.studentsinservice.org. After completing the Online Pre-Service Overview, students attend the In-Person Program Orientation. Because the In-Person Program Orientation is required, all students must attend a session to receive training for the program and receive program materials/forms.

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Who presents the orientations?

Orientations will be conducted by you or another person who helps coordinate SIS locally. Either way, nearly all campuses typically have a large-scale orientation during the fall quarter/semester.

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How often are orientations presented?

Because most students commit to service in the beginning of the academic year, Campus Compact encourages a strong emphasis on recruitment and enrollment in the fall quarter/semester. However, the Students in Service program does offer enrollment at any time throughout the calendar year, as long as slots are available. As a result, it is important to have mechanisms in place that allow Members the opportunity to do so (ongoing, rolling, and individualized orientations allow this to happen).

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Will I be the only Campus Partner on my campus?

You may or may not be the only contact for the Students in Service program. Campus Compact has multiple contacts on each of our Member campuses, and different individuals have different roles. A Campus Compact goal for the Students in Service program is to make this program accessible to as many students as possible; keeping a “diversified portfolio” of campus contacts allows for the most efficient, effective and all-encompassing outreach possible. However, Campus Compact wants to make sure each campus is aware of students participating in the program, and would like to streamline communication regarding the program to a few key people. As a CP, you play a leadership role as a key point of contact. Campus Compact can help keep you connected to others on your campus to build a local resource and support network.

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What are the specific responsibilities of a Member and/or Site Supervisor?

Please refer to the Site Supervisor and Member pages for specific information on each of their roles and responsibilities.

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Will I need to fill out any forms for the Members?

As a CP, you may not have any actual responsibilities for a specific Member. Members are required to choose a Site Supervisor at their service site who will be directly responsible for monitoring paperwork and service activities; however, you are required to review all SIS paperwork and to make sure it is completely filled out and signed by the appropriate people. CPs act as the certifying official on campus and do monitor member's processes such as enrolling and exiting members (being conscious of dates) as well as confirm the dates and signatures of site supervisors who sign the member's time logs.

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Can I or should I serve as a Site Supervisor to any Students in Service Members?

While you may serve as a Site Supervisor to Members, first consider how you will manage that role. Members are encouraged to select as their Site Supervisor an individual who is directly related to their service activities, usually someone who’s actually at their service sites. Sometimes, for ease, several students will identify the same faculty or staff person as a Site Supervisor. Specifically, as a CP you may have multiple requests (perhaps you are a service-learning center coordinator or a faculty internship advisor, in which case multiple students may have contact with you, but they are not volunteering with you). As a CP you may want to ask the Members to select someone at their actual service site as their Supervisor (it’s more appropriate considering how hours and direct service content can be monitored, etc.). Site Supervisors are also required to complete an evaluation at the end of the Member’s Term of Service, and the questions are best answered by an individual who is at the Member’s service site.

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What service activities are appropriate or not appropriate?

• Excellent question! A Member’s service activities should follow program and AmeriCorps guidelines including:
• Service in one or more of the focus areas: Education, Public Safety, Environmental Initiatives, Community Development, or Human Needs.
• Direct Service hours must be voluntary and follow AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities guidelines; the ONLY paid position for which a Member can accrue hours for both a job and for the Students in Service program is a Community Service Federal/State-funded Work Study position.
• Member Development hours must follow program guidelines that have, serious and detailed goals that contribute to a Member’s professional development, and service experience.
• Direct Service will constitute at least 80% of the total hours; Member Development hours will constitute no more than 20% of the total hours; Fundraising hours will constitute no more than 10% of the total hours.

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What are some specific examples of what service Members can do?

Members can do virtually any type of community service, as long as it is in one of the focus areas for national service. They can serve at domestic violence shelters and food banks/soup kitchens; tutor or mentor youth; volunteer within the criminal justice system, community health programs, or the Red Cross; serve as a volunteer firefighter; support stream restoration, revegetation, or reforestation projects; work with recycling programs or wildlife conservation; etc.

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Can a Member’s position be paid?

The ONLY paid positions for which a Member can accrue hours for both a job and for the Students in Service program are Community Service Federal/State-funded Work Study positions. All other service must be unpaid (including internships, academic course-related service, and general volunteer service).

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Who is responsible for completing and sending paperwork?

Ultimately, the Member is responsible for completing, securing appropriate signatures, and sending program-related paperwork to the SIS Coordinator on your campus. Site Supervisors have agreed to assist the Member in completing the tasks that do require their participation, collaboration, and approval/verification. As a CP you may follow up with students who attend a program orientation to make sure they’ve sent in their paperwork and assuring that the paperwork is complete and correct.

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What if there is a concern with the quality or nature of the Member’s service activities?

While Site Supervisors are encouraged to work directly with Members to outline responsibilities and expectations, if the Site Supervisor needs clarification or has a concern, he/she can directly contact the SIS Coordinator on your campus.

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Is serving in a soup kitchen that is located in a church considered a “prohibited activity”?

To determine whether an activity is prohibited, a Site Supervisor and Member should consider first the type of the activity, and secondly the location. If a Member is serving food in a soup kitchen that happens to be in a church, that activity in and of itself may be appropriate. Students in Service encourages partnering with faith-based organizations. However, if a Member is expected, as part of the soup kitchen experience, to discuss or promote the particular ideology or mission of the hosting religious organization, that would be an example of an unacceptable direct service activity. This may be a helpful example in determining prohibited activities.

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How does an agency or organization benefit from hosting an AmeriCorps Member?

The benefits of sponsoring an AmeriCorps Member are numerous:

• Access to a committed volunteer who can serve at an agency for a given period of time
• Ability to collaborate with a volunteer to identify a community need and outline steps to address community issues
• Fostering of a deeper relationship between community organizations and college/university resources;
• Development of programs or sustainability measures by an AmeriCorps Member for an agency or organization
• Direct connection to the national service movement and support of national service initiatives

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Can documents be faxed?

Please do not fax paperwork to the SIS Coordinator on your campus. If your paperwork will be late, you may notify the office to which you submit paperwork, but you will need to send the original document with original signatures as soon as possible.

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Will AmeriCorps or Campus Compact staff visit my campus?

Throughout the year, the Students in Service staff has an interest in visiting sites around the state to make connections with Campus Partners, Members, and community agencies. Along with program orientations, the Students in Service staff will also endeavor to visit Member institutions. The Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) also conducts site visits at Campus Compact offices. During a site visit, CNCS visits one college or university and reviews program administration. CNCS staff also feel strongly about making a connection in the community and invite direct feedback about program experience from Members, community partners, and Campus Partners. Again, while CNCS may not visit every campus, if yours is selected, you will be notified in advance. In that case, the Students in Service staff will bring Member files, meet with you on campus to review the program, be present during the CNCS review, and visit one or more service sites.

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What are “Great Stories”?

A significant component of any service-learning program is the element of reflection. Participants must have an opportunity to consider their experiences, and reflect upon the meaning of those experiences. The experiential learning process is a valuable component to Students in Service. Members are strongly encouraged to submit Great Stories throughout their term of service. This story is a reflection piece about a positive experience that occurred at their service site and/or about their service with a client.

We encourage you to stay in touch with your Members about these stories. You may be encouraged after reading the wonderful learning experiences of our AmeriCorps Members. Many times, Members are willing to have their reflections shared with campus officials, other Members, agency staff, parent newsletters, or even boards of directors. Sometimes in the most challenging of service experiences, these kinds of reflections and learning experiences continue to inspire our Members and put their service experiences into perspective. We hope you will be able to share in the positive outcomes of service!

Members should submit their Great Stories online here.

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