Intranet: Policies and Procedures: Section 1: Personnel
1.12 CAES Volunteers Working with Youth
Policy and Procedure Guidelines
As of August 1, 2008 all adult volunteers working with youth in any CAES activity are required to submit to a background investigation using the process listed below:
"Working with" can be defined as having direct contact with a youth during an activity or event. This is a college wide policy; however, since the vast majority of adult volunteers are associated with Cooperative Extension, we will be keeping with the overall spirit of past Extension volunteer policy and also using the online 4-H enrollment system as the official CAES volunteer database.
The screening procedure is:
- Completion of a Volunteer Application.
- Applications are then returned to the appropriate CAES department/unit/office. (Applications must include a CAES employee's name and email address for contact purposes.)
- Documentation of two positive references. (References should be checked prior to faxing to UGA Human Resources. If two references do not recommend the volunteer to supervise youth, the CAES employee should notify the volunteer that they have not been approved. An application should not be forwarded unless a minimum of 2 positive references are obtained.)
- Fax the form to UGA Human Resources at the telephone number at the bottom of the form.
Procedures specific to Cooperative Extension can be found at: http://www.georgia4h.org/public/more/guidebook/policyforadultsworkingwithyouth.html.
The employee contact listed on the application will receive an email accepting or denying the volunteer. This email should be printed and added to the volunteer's file.
Accepted volunteers will receive notification from the CAES employee contact only after the contact employee receives email approval from UGA Human Resources.
Denied volunteers will receive a clarification letter from the Choice Point in Marietta that their application has been denied and the applicant should also be notified by a CAES employee.
A minimum of four documents should be kept on file for each volunteer:
- Completed application form
- Copy of the email from UGA Human Resources
- Documentation of two positive references
All paperwork relative to volunteer screening should be maintained in the same manner as paid personnel files. Files should be kept locked in an area of the office that is not common to all employees and guests.
All screened volunteers should also be entered into the online 4-H enrollment system. If a unit/department does not have access to this system, please contact Jenny Jordan at 706/542-4H4H or email: jwj4h@uga.edu.
Volunteers must maintain contact with the appropriate CAES department/unit/office at a minimum of once a year in order to maintain "screened" status. If more than a year has passed then the volunteer will need to submit to a new background investigation in order to supervise youth.
Steve Gibson (706/542-1147; sgibson@uga.edu) will serve as the CAES point of contact for this policy.