Volunteers

In partnership with VCU's offices of Safety and Risk Management (SRM), Employee Health, and Equity and Access Services, the following guidance and resources are provided to help units manage and work with university volunteers.

This guidance does not extend to current VCU student volunteers.

Prior to assisting with onboarding volunteers, HR staff in departments and units are responsible for reviewing the Employee and Affiliate Identification Policy. Managers/individuals requesting volunteers must review the Safety and Protection of Minors on Campus (SPM) Policy to ensure compliance.

Volunteers agree to abide by the VCU Code of Conduct and all relevant VCU policies and related laws.

Before starting a volunteer assignment

The VCU employee who wishes to have a volunteer contacts their HR Professional (HRP) or HR Associate (HRA), who then provides the to the identified volunteer.
The volunteer completes the form and submits it to the HRP/HRA. The completed form should be maintained in the departmental HR file.
The VCU employee who wishes to have a volunteer confirms that the volunteer has skills necessary to perform the work. This may be accomplished through a conversation with the volunteer, reference checks, etc.
If required for the position (based on the scope and sensitivity of work to be completed, such as access to data or vulnerable populations, including work with VCU students), the volunteer completes a background check.
- Tier I: If an individual is the program supervisor as defined in the safety and protection of minors policy
- Tier II: If an individual is working with minors, but does not have ultimate primary responsibility for the program/activity.
- If volunteer positions are required to be Tier I or II individuals (see definition below) based on interactions with minors, a biennial background check must be completed. Sterling Volunteers is considered the recommended vendor and the check must follow the guidelines for the SPM policy.
- Volunteers in need of background checks for reasons outside of the SPM policy may either be screened through Sterling Volunteers or HireRight.
The HRP/HRA enters the volunteer’s information into the affiliate database so the individual can obtain a VCUCard ID and VCU email address. (Those volunteers who require background checks should receive a clear background check prior to being entered into the database.)
- There is a charge to the department for the volunteer to obtain a VCUCard ID.
Volunteer is assigned a sponsor and provided sponsor’s contact information. (The sponsor will likely be the employee requesting the volunteer or working most directly with the individual.)
Sponsor informs the volunteer about potential hazards they may encounter on campus, provides any required personal protective equipment (PPE), and conducts training on its correct utilization before the volunteer starts their role at VCU. For assistance with this, sponsors should contact Safety and Risk Management at srm@vcu.edu.
Volunteer completes mandatory online VCU Safety Awareness Orientation.

At the end of a volunteer assignment

The volunteer’s sponsor or HRP/HRA must collect the individual's keys, ID and equipment.
The volunteer’s sponsor notifies the HRP/HRA about the completion of the volunteer’s assignment
The HRP/HRA terminates the volunteer’s assignment/access in Banner

Patients & Animals

For volunteers working with patients or animals:

Forms must be provided to volunteer by HRP/HRA and are located in the HRP and HRA Google folders
If working with patients: Volunteer completes the VCU Volunteer - Patient Care Form* and submits it to HRP/HRA
If working with animals: Volunteer completes the VCU Volunteer - Animal Handlers Form* and submits it to HRP/HRA. An up-to-date tetanus and diphtheria vaccination record must also be submitted
HRP/HRA submits appropriate Patient Care or Animal Handler form to Employee Health at employeehealthRN@VCUHealth.org.
Employee Health reviews forms and notifies HRP/HRA when the volunteer is cleared to start.

Laboratory

For volunteers providing services in a laboratory:

Principal Investigator (PI) must add volunteer to the Lab's SciShield Profile*. This ensures that volunteers gain access to critical health and safety information, including Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). *For information about minors volunteering in a lab, see Hosting Minor Volunteers tab below.
Volunteers must complete mandatory training outlined below:
- Lab Safety Training: Volunteers must complete mandatory lab safety training, which, at a minimum, encompasses the Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety and Hazardous Waste Management. These foundational courses equip volunteers with essential knowledge and skills to operate safely within the laboratory environment.
- Additional Training Assignments Related to Volunteer’s Specific Lab: PIs are tasked with assigning further training modules from the SciShield Course Directory, tailored to the specific hazards associated with their respective laboratories. This ensures that volunteers receive specialized training pertinent to the unique risks within each lab setting.
Supervised Lab Access: Volunteers may not enter the lab unsupervised. A lab supervisor or manager, or their designee (an employee assigned to the laboratory), must be present during all volunteer activities within the lab. This ensures the safety of both volunteers and the laboratory environment.
HRP/HRA notifies sponsor that volunteer is cleared to start
Sponsor gives volunteer a tour of the assigned facility
Sponsor notifies volunteer of work schedule

Hosting Minor Volunteers

All sponsored and hosted programs/activities involving minors are required to register with the Protection of Minors Office.
The employee interested in bringing a minor to volunteer must review the Safety and Protection of Minors (SPM) policy, in consultation with the Protection of Minors Office, to determine if compliance is necessary.
- In general, compliance is necessary if the minor will be in the care, custody and control of a university party.
The employee must achieve full compliance with the safety and protection of minors policy for the program/activity prior to the start of programming with minors.
If the minor is volunteering in a lab setting: Once the program/activity has come into compliance with the SPM policy, the Principal Investigator (PI) must add the minor volunteer to the Lab’s SciShield Profile. This ensures that volunteers gain access to critical health and safety information, including Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Volunteering with Minors

If a volunteer will be responsible for the care, custody and control of a minor, without the direct supervision of a Tier I or II individual, that volunteer will need to become either a Tier I or II individual themselves. This includes completing the mandatory Tier I or II training and completing a biennial background check. Background checks should be completed via the Sterling Volunteers background check platform.
- Tier I: If an individual is the program supervisor as defined in the safety and protection of minors policy
- Tier II: If an individual is working with minors, but does not have ultimate primary responsibility for the program/activity.
If a volunteer will be under the direct supervision of a Tier I or II individual at all times (within “sight and sound”), it is recommended they take the Tier III training from the Protection of Minors Office.