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WELCOME !. AmeriCorps Student Leaders in Service Campus Supervisor Orientation. Orientation Goals:. Clarify roles and expectations of campus supervisors with regard to the program Provide an overview of processes from recruitment to exiting
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WELCOME! AmeriCorps Student Leaders in Service Campus Supervisor Orientation
Orientation Goals: • Clarify roles and expectations of campus supervisors with regard to the program • Provide an overview of processes from recruitment to exiting • Orient campus supervisors to the enrollment process—including paperwork and background checks • Ensure grant compliance and improved member enrollment and retention
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE (CNCS) • AmeriCorps is federally funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in Washington, D.C. • CNCS is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
AmeriCorps • AmeriCorps (aka the “domestic Peace Corps”) began in 1994 and provides opportunities for Americans to make an intensive commitment to service. The AmeriCorps network of local, state, and national service programs engages more than 70,000 Americans in intensive service each year. • AmeriCorps members serve through more than 3,000 nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based and other community organizations, helping meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment. The variety of service opportunities is almost unlimited. • Members may tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school programs, or help communities respond to disasters.
Massachusetts Campus Compact Educating citizens, building communities. • 70 member campuses • Public and private, two year and four year schools • Established in 1995 • Based at Tufts University • Trainings, resources, capacity building, campus consultations, updates on state and national events, grants and funding, conferences
CNCS AmeriCorps (Ed Award Only) Massachusetts Campus Compact Institutions (Slots) AmeriCorps Funding Stream
ASLIS By the Numbers: • 338 Member Slots • 5- 900 hours: $2,775 • 15- 675 hours: $2,114 • 15- 450 hours: $1,468 • 303- 300 hours: $1,175 • 40 campuses in CT, MA, PR • Start: August 2012 • End: June 30, 2013
The Education Award- General Terms • Use to repay eligible loans/cost of tuition for school (not private loans or credit cards) • Expires seven years after you receive it (you might be able to receive an extension) • You can't transfer the award to someone else (with an exception; see below) • Transferability: You can give the award to someone else if you are 55 or older and certain conditions are met • Multiple terms: You can receive awards up to the value of two full-time awards in a lifetime, serving in full-time, part-time, and summer positions • Use all at once or in partial amounts • Subject to taxes when you use it • Since the award can be used only for current educational expenses, you cannot use it to cover past balances in your school account. (You can, however, use the award on qualified student loans.)
AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities: • Attempting to influence legislation; • Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; • Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing; • Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements; • Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office; • Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials; • Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization; Providing a direct benefit to— (i) A business organized for profit; (ii) A labor union; (iii) A partisan political organization; (iv) An organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (g) of this section, unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities; • Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive; • Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services. Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the activities listed above on their initiative, on non-AmeriCorps time, and using non-Corporation funds. Individuals should not wear the AmeriCorps logo while doing so.
Campus Supervisors Will… • Recruit, orient, and supervise members; • Vet each member; • Disseminate and collect all member paperwork; • Monitor ASLIS members; • Maintain consistent communication with MACC staff and each ASLIS member; • Evaluate members at the end of the term for MACC.
ASLIS Members Will… • Be committed to completing all service requirements; • Complete all required paperwork; • Complete timesheets on a monthly basis; • Manage their own time in order to complete the program by the required exit date; • Maintain consistent communication with their campus supervisor throughout the year.
Massachusetts Campus Compact Will… • Disseminate blank copies of all member paperwork to campus supervisors, collect completed, correct member paperwork, and maintain official member files; • Enroll/Exit ASLIS members in the AmeriCorps Portal and manage all functions related to official AmeriCorps enrollment and exit; • Provide campuses with monthly updates on member hours; • Provide T/TA and site visits as needed; • Maintain consistent communication with campus supervisors.
Slot Allocation Process • Slot allocation included in Award Letter • All slot allocations are contingent on funding • Only guaranteed upon receipt of complete, correct enrollment packets by October 19, 2012 • All unfilled slots are forfeited • After deadline, if there are extra slots, they will be awarded on a first come, first served basis
Member Recruitment • Responsibility of each campus supervisor • When recruiting members, remember to: • Clearly outline expectations for members from the start • Vet potential members • Develop a system for alternates • What have veteran campuses done to recruit members?
Eligibility for AmeriCorps: Members must: • Be a United States citizen or permanent resident alien of the U.S., (and have documentation! see eligibility document list) • Be 17 years old or older, and • Hold a GED or high school diploma, or are working toward one of the two and will have received it before using the education award.
National Service Criminal History Check All members must undergo a National Service Criminal History Check which consists of: • A search of the state criminal registry (CORI); • Submitting fingerprints to the FBI for a national criminal history background check; and • A name-based search of the Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW)
National Service Criminal History Check (con’t.) • MACC will conduct the NSOPW check on all members before enrollment. • If the campus or service site will conduct a CORI, please submit the Criminal Record Check Verification Form. • If the campus/service site will NOT conduct a CORI, MACC will. Please submit the CORI Acknowledgement Form. An individual is ineligible to serve in a covered position if the individual: (a) Is registered, or required to be registered, on a State sex offender registry or the National Sex Offender Registry; or (b) Has been convicted of murder, as defined in section 1111 of title 18, United States Code.
Overview of Enrollment Process • Receive enrollment packets at Supervisor Meeting on August 9, 2012 • Complete, correct enrollment packet due no later than October 19, 2012 • Incomplete packets will not be accepted and may: • Prevent a member from serving on time • Prevent a member from serving at all • Most common mistakes: • Forms not enclosed (i.e. eligibility document, CORI Request Form) • Illegible member information • Incomplete or missing member information (i.e. signatures, SSN)
Member Contract • Confirms that the member is: eligible to serve, available for their term of service, and knowledgeable about member rights and responsibilities, prohibited activities, and policies • Most common mistakes: • Unsigned or dated by member • Unsigned or dated by campus supervisor • Term not checked • Date on first page does not match date signed by member
Tips on Enrollment Process • Keep a copy of member file at your office. • Do not wait until the last minute to collect paperwork. Warn members ahead of time of the eligibility document so they can begin the process of collecting it. • Remember 30 Days! If MACC receives the packets and the enrollment dates are past 30 days, we will have to change member enrollment dates. • Note that overnight mail is not always faster. • Do not fax or email.
Member Orientation • Responsibility of the campus supervisor • Required by AmeriCorps Rules and Regulations • Use MACC PowerPoint • Have members sign the Orientation Sign-In Sheet • Provides information on: • Member rights and responsibilities • Code of conduct • Safety protocol • Prohibited activities • Drug-Free Workplace requirements • Sexual harassment and nondiscrimination issues • Suspension and release from service • Grievance procedures All outlined in the Member Contract
Timesheets • Members will submit monthly timesheets to supervisors • Members will break service into 3 categories- training attended (20% limit), fundraising (10% limit), and direct service (no limit) • Members will COMPLETELY fill out the timesheet* • Supervisors are responsible for collecting timesheets, signing off and approving hours, and sending them to the MACC Office • Timesheets must be kept up-to-date and serve as the official timekeeping system for ASLIS • MACC will send monthly updates of member hours to supervisors * Our timesheet was designed to specifically collect all necessary information for this grant. Collecting this information ensures that we can offer this program to our campuses each year.
The 30 Day Rule • We must notify CNCS within 30 days of a member’s enrollment and exit from the program. • Whenever we miss the 30 day deadline, we are considered out of compliance. This could negatively impact our grant in the future. Please remember to turn paperwork in on time! This means passing in the enrollment workbook by the deadline and members completing their last timesheet/exit form/exit survey within 30 days of their last day of service.
The 30 Day Rule, (con’t.) • If you finish your hours early, exit paperwork must be turned in within 30 days of your last day of service. • If you wish to remain an active AmeriCorps member, you must remain “actively serving.” - Actively serving: continue serving the same average amount of hours as in other months and sending in timesheets until you are ready to exit.
Drug-Free Workplace During the terms of service, program members may be released from the terms of service with no compensation if a member has: • Unlawfully manufactured, distributed, dispensed, possessed or used any controlled substance or illegal drugs; • Consumed alcoholic beverages during the performance of service activities; • Was under the influence of alcohol or any illegal drugs during the performance of service activities. *All members must take the Drug Awareness Quiz and sign/date as part of the ASLIS Drug Awareness Program.
Reasonable Accommodation • Sites must provide accommodation, upon request by a qualified individual with disabilities, unless doing so is an undue financial or administrative burden to your program. • For those cases where reasonable accommodations are more costly, there is a limited amount of money available through State Commissions to provide accommodations for service members.
Non-Discrimination It is against the law for organizations that receive federal financial assistance from CNCS to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, age, political affiliation, or, religion. It is also unlawful to retaliate against any person who, or organization that, files a complaint about such discrimination.
Early Exit (No Education Award) • The member has dropped out of the program; • During the term of service the member has been convicted of a violent felony or the sale or distribution of a controlled substance; • Member completes AmeriCorps Exit Form/Exit Survey • Member completes pg. 1; MACC completes pg. 2 • Campus supervisor completes end-of-term evaluation • Campus supervisor writes letter regarding circumstances of exit • Negative impact on campus retention rate
Early Exit: Compelling Personal Circumstances • The member has a disability or serious illness that makes completing the term impossible; • There is a serious injury, illness, or death of a family member that makes completing the term unreason ably difficult or impossible for the member; • The member has Military service obligations; • Some other unforeseeable circumstance beyond the member’s control makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for the member to complete the term of service • Member must provide documentation and complete Exit Form/Exit Survey • Campus supervisor completes member end-of-term evaluation
Exit Full award (For members who finish hours early or take the full service year to complete hours) • When member completes hours and turns in all of their timesheets, they will be ready to be exited • Member completes AmeriCorps Exit Form/Exit Survey • Member completes pg. 1; MACC completes pg. 2 • Campus supervisor completes end-of-term evaluation
Accessing Education Award • Disseminated by the National Service Trust • Electronically managed at my.americorps.gov • Typically arrives 2-4 weeks after request is made by member in My AmeriCorps system • Issued to institution (campus or loan provider) and NOT member
Contact Information Kate Beyer Program Director Massachusetts Campus Compact (617) 627-2033 Kate.beyer@tufts.edu