Why should students document service activities?
Documenting service activities allows ACU students to demonstrate a broader range of leadership, service, and learning activities undertaken outside the classroom. Many employers look beyond transcripts for new graduates to help determine a prospective employee’s character and whether they will be responsible and reliable. Employers and graduate programs are often looking for individuals who are engaged in their community and who demonstrate leadership experience. The Student Service Record is a useful tool to accompany an academic transcript when applying for jobs or graduate programs.
How do students document service activities?
Service activities can be reported to the Volunteer & Service-Learning Center (VSLC) in one of two ways:
Students' service information is kept in their individual Student Service Record in the VSLC computer database. Link to Forms
NOTE: Service completed during breaks (summer, winter) can be submitted to the VSLC. It will be put on your service record, however it cannot be counted towards class or scholarship service credit unless it was pre-approved by the appropriate professor/staff and the VSLC.
How do students document REQUIRED service activities?
Documentation for all service activities undertaken to meet a service requirement (LYNAY, Presidential Scholars, course work, discipline, etc.) MUST be validated (have the signature of an agency/project representative at the site where work is conducted). If service time is submitted on a group timesheet, the signature of the group coordinator or the site representative will serve to verify students' work.
Service activity completed to meet a requirement may count in only one area. For example, if students are weekly reading tutors and count that time toward their Presidential Scholar service requirement, they may not count the same hours to meet any other requirement, including credit in a course. Exceptions to this policy must be cleared through the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center prior to the completion of service hours.
ALL documentation for required service activity MUST be completed and turned in to the VSLC by the last day of classes in each semester (Friday before final exams). Timesheets submitted later than this will be considered late and may include a penalty. This could result in a student not receiving the necessary credit for service activities they completed for a service requirement.
How do students request a Student Service Record?
Student Service Records may be requested at any time by completing a Student Service Record Request Form provided in the VSLC office or online. Requests require three to five business days to be processed.
For questions about what activities are considered service (for documentation purposes) please see "Service" Defined.
