student volunteers and the volunteer-involving community organisations

1. student volunteers and the volunteer-involving community organisations vinspiredstudents research

2. Student Volunteering: Background, Policy and Context • Purpose of the study • Review literature and policy developments in relation to volunteering and student volunteering • Explore current student volunteering and learning linked activity: how it is constructed and managed, the perceived benefits and barriers • Review international models of student volunteering (US and Australia) • List useful toolkits and training resources to support student volunteering activity • Consider knowledge gaps and themes for further exploration

3. Student Volunteering: Background, Policy and Context • Methods used • Literature review • Semi-structured interviews with HEIs (20 focused on learning-linked; 46 focused on wider student volunteering) • Interviews with stakeholders and experts to give an overview of volunteering, practices, policies and developments

4. Student Volunteering: Background, Policy and Context • Findings • Rich diversity in how student volunteering is constructed managed and defined • Lack of evidence-based research informing the assumptions over the impact that student volunteering can have for students, employers the community and the university • Perceived increase in the range of opportunities available to student volunteers

5. Student Volunteering: Background, Policy and Context • Recommendations • Supporting projects that tackle the identified gaps in our understanding • Building more proactive links to wider policy developments around volunteering, and defining the unique contribution universities can make to this through the strategic management of volunteering in the sector • Developing a robust evidence base, in particular around the lifelong volunteer, the numbers of students volunteering, and the impact of volunteering on individuals, the community and the host institutions

6. Following-up on the recommendations

7. Following-up on the recommendations

8. Methods

9. Methods • Examples of groups that may be considered non-volunteering students: Students who may be volunteering under the radar of the university (hence are not recorded); students who do not consider themselves to be volunteers; students who volunteered prior to university but have taken a break; students who are not volunteering. • Examples of groups that may be considered volunteering students: Volunteering community focused placements that are organised by the university/Students’ Union; students volunteering in roles within university community. • Examples of groups that may be community based learning: Academic component that have a community “volunteer” element as part of the module studied credit may or may not count towards a degree.

10. Methods • We anticipate the use of surveys, interviews, focus groups and case studies in order to collect range of data necessary to support the desired research outcomes. • Looking to explore differences across: • Mode and programme of study • Year of study • Gender • Age • Ethnicity • Religious beliefs • Disability • Frequency and volume of engagement • Previous experience of volunteering • Nature of volunteer experience (i.e. type of placement) • Preferred future and career aspirations

11. Methods • Looking for diversity in terms of the community organisations involved – across turnover, purpose etc. • Looking to capture impacts: • Affects on service delivery and infrastructure • Knowledge and cultural exchange • Potential benefits of working with students as opposed to other groups • Potential benefits to having a transactional relationship with a university • Further explore community capacity, for example: • If they were to experience a step change in volunteering what would it need to look like? • What support could universities provide to improve relationships between students and community organisations?

12. Research Approach • Aims: • To acknowledge the experience of HEIs in evaluating student volunteering activity and use this experience to inform research design • To work with HEIs and the community, communicating findings in a manner that both enhances the dissemination of the research and aids the strategic direction of the Student Volunteering Initiative • To contribute to the development of research capacity and evaluative experience in HEIs, supporting them in initiating a change process within the institution whereby the impact of student volunteering is fully captured

13. Research Approach • This research should therefore to build on the capacity of HEIs to carryout evaluative work on the impact of student volunteering, enabling long term cross university comparisons. • There are number of possible approaches the research project could take, and these are not limited to those detailed below: • Involve relevant stakeholders within HEIs in the design and dissemination of the research • Leaving behind a legacy which enables HEIs to utilise and develop the tools created as part of this research project • Giving ownership of some areas of the research to HEIs and supporting them in effective delivery

14. Research Approach • Outcomes • A research design that is sensitive to and adds value to existing evaluative work and approaches, taking into account the needs of HEIs. • Increased possibility of wider understanding of research findings and greater dissemination amongst HEIs • Increased knowledge and understanding of both the evaluative capacity within HEIs and the factors needed to develop this capacity • A research approach and outcomes that contributes to a culture change within HEIs and enhances capacity.

16. Mapping and constructing volunteering * Funding information collected from WiSCV network survey of 52 HEIs (2008)

17. Benefits and Barriers