Volunteerism key in student development

The following piece by Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Frederick Lowy was originally published on The University Commons page of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

Canada’s universities and their communities are linked in many ways, and one of the most vital and dynamic connections is volunteerism.

If our communities are to remain viable and thrive in the face of changing economic, demographic and societal challenges, then volunteerism by students, faculty, staff and alumni of Canada’s universities must be a growing part of the solution. There is considerable room for broadening volunteerism in Canada, particularly among our youth.

Surveys show that just under half of Canadians volunteer in some way, but a small minority account for the bulk of hours contributed each year. Much of that effort is being made by a cohort of super volunteers who are in large part retiring and ready to pass the torch to subsequent generations.

A 2010 pan-Canadian research study, Bridging the Gap, revealed that the goals of the upcoming generation of volunteers are likely to be quite different from those who preceded them. The younger generation represented by our students — many of whom are juggling school, job, and family obligations — seems to want more flexibility, shorter-term opportunities, group activities and volunteer tasks that are different from daily work or study life. 

Canada’s governor general and long-time university president David Johnston is rightly encouraging the country’s youth to be more active in volunteering, and our universities can be natural leaders in that movement. In fact, many of Canada’s universities were founded by individuals or groups who devoted their personal, professional and financial resources to supporting education.

At Concordia, giving of one’s time without remuneration is a long-standing core value, beginning with our founding institutions, Sir George Williams University and Loyola College, whose histories and positive social impacts stretch back to the late 1800s. We believe that teaching and learning should be infused with a sense of social commitment, purpose, and responsibility.

Our Academic Plan, currently in preparation, puts a special emphasis on encouraging students to take advantage of volunteer opportunities, especially those that correlate with their academic program objectives. This can be done through initiatives such as problem-based service learning for academic credit and by including volunteerism in a co-curricular transcript or diploma supplement.

Concordia’s Co-Curricular Record, for example, is an official document that formally recognizes a student’s volunteer experience through extra-curricular involvement, leadership accomplishments and community service activities. It was instituted in September 2010, making Concordia the first Quebec university to offer such a record.

Coaching is vital, so we also teach interested students how to be effective volunteers and we try to match them with the opportunities available. Since it opened in August 2010, the Concordia LIVE Centre (Leadership Initiative and Volunteer Engagement) has connected with more than 1,200 students seeking information about volunteer opportunities.

In this 10th anniversary of the UN’s Year of the Volunteer, one challenge for Canada’s universities and their supporters and partners is to be as adaptable, accessible and creative as possible in making volunteerism a natural part of our students’ development.

The corporate sector, for example, can help with targeted scholarships that help ease a student’s transition into lifelong volunteering. Governments can provide innovative funding incentives such as loan offsets that reward students for their commitment to volunteerism. Non-governmental organizations can develop project-based programs and leadership circles that help students find their way to volunteering.

The relationship between Canada’s universities and our several communities — local and global — can be strengthened and deepened through volunteerism that has deep roots and good prospects of growing strongly in the years ahead. To achieve this, it will help to have the concerted engagement of governments, business and the broader society. 

Related links:
•  “Co-curricular Record Recognizes Volunteer Work” — October 7, 2011
•  “Ready to Volunteer” — NOW, October 5, 2011
•  Concordia LIVE Centre
•  Universities Canada