Volunteers/Visiting

Volunteers at VIMS

If a volunteer will be completing work for you in excess of 72 hours (3 business days), they must go through the VIMS check-in process. A volunteer is considered anyone that will be completing work for you and is not on the VIMS payroll. This includes W&M students, high school students, interns, and visiting scientists/post-docs/students. Anyone conducting work for less than 72 hours does not need to go through the check-in process, but does need to sign a liability waiver before they complete the work. Liability waivers should be turned in to the Safety Office before the work commences.

The volunteer check-in process includes:

1. Safety training through the Safety Office—must take place before any work commences.
2. Liability Waiver—turned in to Safety Office at time of safety training
3. Volunteer Check-in Form—The check-in form should be returned to the Outreach Coordinator once completed. All volunteers must obtain signatures from the safety office, the Waterman’s Hall Front Desk Attendant, Department Head, and Department Business Manager. Other required signatures depend on the needs of the volunteer and are described on the Check-in Form. All Volunteers must also complete the check-out process, by retrieving their check-in form from the Outreach Coordinator and having it re-signed, prior to ending their service at VIMS.
4. If the volunteer is under 18, the liability waiver must be signed by their parent/guardian and notarized and they must also complete a consent for emergency medical treatment form. This should be turned into the Safety Office with the liability form.

If you have a need for volunteers, [[v|knsharpe,please contact the Outreach Coordinator]]. They will assist you in filling your volunteer position by posting it on the William & Mary Volunteer Portal. Contact the Outreach Coordinator with any questions you may have about working with volunteers.

Volunteers Under the Age of 18

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to work in a lab or complete field work. Office work, administrative work, and computer work can be performed by anyone 14 or older. If the volunteer is under 18, the liability waiver must be signed by their parent/guardian and notarized and they must also complete a consent for emergency medical treatment form. If the volunteer is a minor, there are special considerations to take into account during their time volunteering. These considerations can be found in PPD-0513 and in the Safety Office’s Teenagers in Laboratories document. If you plan to work with volunteers under the age of 18, please contact [[v|knsharpe,Kristen Sharpe]] to discuss special considerations before the volunteer begins work.

Visiting Scientists/Visiting Post-Docs

If you are hosting a visiting scientist or visiting post-doc please follow Policy PD-0025. You must complete a Visiting Scientist/Visiting Post-Doc Application before your visitor arrives and submit the application to the Dean and Directors Office for approval. When your visiting scientist or post-doc arrives on campus, they must follow the volunteer check-in process outlined above.

Visiting Students

If you are hosting a visiting student please follow Policy PD-0608. You must complete a Visiting Student Application before your visitor arrives and submit the application to the Office of Academic Studies for approval. When your visiting student arrives on campus, they must follow the volunteer check-in process outlined above.