Parameters
Who - Full-time, permanent staff
What - 24 hours of paid time off as Community Service Leave
When - must be conducted during the workday
Where - 501c3 or a human service organization licensed or accredited to serve citizens with special needs including children, youth, and the elderly (like a public school or Goodwill)
Why - Prioritizing community service benefits the University in the following ways:
- It elevates our positive presence in the greater community.
- It provides much needed assistance (labor, skills, unique expertise) to charitable organizations in our community.
- It allows employees to make personal connections that expand the University's network of possible donors.
- It allows employees that are new to the area to make connections that increase their sense of belonging, thereby facilitating employee engagement, job satisfaction and retention.
- It supports experiential learning for students when employees are paired with students in a 'real world' environment.
- It promotes the mental well being of employees.
- It allows employees to build/expand their own skills (professional development).
- It grooms employees for eventual leadership positions at the University.
- It aligns with UNC System strategic plan goals and App State strategic plan goals.
- It aligns with SACS requirements
How - Employees should follow the same process for requesting/reporting CSL as they would follow for requesting/reporting other forms of personal leave, such as Sick Leave or Vacation Leave
Full-time, permanent staff (including probationary, trainee, and time-limited) may use 24 hours of paid time off as Community Service Leave as approved by their manager each calendar year to volunteer at non-profit, non-partisan community organizations designated as an IRS Code 501(c)(3) agency, or a human service organization licensed or accredited to serve citizens with special needs including children, youth, and the elderly.
- Volunteer work such as “organizing” vs. participating in a fundraising event (e. G. can set up tents but can’t play golf in the tournament)
- Non-profit, charitable, civic, humanitarian, and public service work
- Agencies can include religious organizations as long as the volunteer work does not apply to activities designed to promote religious beliefs.
- Includes Virtual Service opportunities
Determining an agency’s eligibility for CSL
- If the agency is on the CEL list, it’s approved
If the agency is not on the CEL list, have a conversation with your supervisor to determine if the worksite will be appropriate.
[Future: Link to tutoring options]
Link to agencies in town from Community Engaged Leadership list - https://cel.appstate.edu/volunteer-contacts
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VuqiN5GvXeZ6_oMIPed23g5F402qjDf-PZfxo8A3swY/edit#gid=0
A link to the current HR CSL page - https://hr.appstate.edu/hr-services/leave-management/community-service-leave
#MountaineerVolunteer
Share your experience! A Google Form for people to submit photos and a description
Link to CEL list of community organizations
Questions? Contact Alyson Ebaugh <ebaugham@appstate.edu>