Individuals who provide direct service in support of Buffalo State University and its programs and activities without remuneration are volunteers. Volunteer duties include supervising field experiences for students; assisting in museums, libraries, theaters, and laboratories; assisting in activities relating to fundraising, athletic programs, and campus improvement projects; and serving as guides. Volunteers may be terminated at any time with no explanation and without warning.
To both protect Buffalo State's interest and its volunteers, volunteers must receive official appointment as a volunteer because volunteers are covered under:
- Worker's Compensation Law should they be injured while performing their volunteer duties, and
- Section 17 of the Public Officers Law provides that the NYS Attorney General will defend these volunteers should they become involved in litigation that pertains to an incident involving their volunteer duties as long as the volunteers did not intentionally engage in wrongdoing.
Volunteers are:
- Subject to a background check. The supervisor or department head will provide the applicant with the policy and the authorization release form. Upon receipt of the applicant’s signed authorization release form, HR will initiate a background check.
- Subject to the NYS Public Officers Law and must complete an oath of office document.
- Required to show proper identification (i.e., driver’s license, school picture id or any other form of picture identification, containing a current address) and may obtain a Bengal ID card.
- Required to complete a volunteer application form.
- Required to review and abide by applicable policies and complete compliance training as listed in the volunteer appointment letter and/or advised by their supervisor within 30 days of appointment.
- Required to return all University property upon separation from service.
Volunteers will not:
- Perform responsibilities generally assigned to employees represented by collective bargaining agreements.
- Be covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Perform hazardous activities or operate heavy equipment without prior written approval, including driving University-owned, leased, or rented vehicles.
- Perform any act or activity considered inappropriate for an employee.
Additional Resources:
Procedures
Volunteer will:
- Complete and return to the department the following documents:
- Return signed volunteer appointment letter directly to Human Resource Management (Cleveland Hall 410 or hr@buffalostate.edu) promptly upon receipt.
Department will:
- Obtain above listed documents from volunteer.
- Complete a Volunteer Appointment Form which includes describing:
- nature of the work to be performed,
- qualifications of the proposed volunteer,
- duration of the assignment (may not be greater than 1 year), and
- person responsible for supervising the volunteer.
- The title should be indicated as "Volunteer".
The department head/supervisor requesting to use a volunteer is responsible for reviewing the appointment form for completeness and reasonableness, authorizing the request, and then submitting it to the divisional vice president for review for reasonableness and need. If the appointment is not approved, it should be returned to the department indicating reasons for non-approval. If the appointment is approved, forward the form with all necessary documents to Human Resource Management (hr@buffalostate.edu).
Human Resources has the overall responsibility for administration and authorization to appoint volunteers. The following criteria will be used to determine if the person is eligible for volunteer status:
- duration of appointment is greater than 3 days, and not greater than 1 year,
- nature of the assignment (a risk assessment based on the duties to be performed),
- guest speakers and public speakers are not considered volunteers,
- volunteers must be 18 years or older.
Human Resources will:
- complete the background check,
- verify the information contained in the appointment form for complete information and appropriateness of appointment,
- notify Vice President and supervisor of the approval status,
- authorize volunteer appointments,
- provide volunteers with a volunteer appointment letter upon final approval,
- maintain official records of all campus volunteers according to State regulations.
