COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS STUDENT COUNCIL Proposal for the Committee on VOLUNTEER CORPS Don Christian M.

Fernandez Representative, Department of European Languages Proponent Rationale The average yearly student population of some 1,000 Iskolars in the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) proves to be a really tough number to manage particularly when it is up against the much lesser 13 man-team of its student council. While the need for an organized body of student-volunteers does not intend to undermine the individual and concerted capacity of the members of the council, the Committee very well calls for more efficiency and organization in the accomplishment of all the councils activities, projects and undertakings by mobilizing a capable number of volunteers. Moreover, by encouraging and engaging students to take an active part in many of its ventures, the formation of a Volunteer Corps affirms the very principle by which any student council is founded on a council for the students and by the students. Hence the Committee will vigorously muster, during the entirety of the academic year, much of the manpower it possibly could through willing and enthusiastic student-volunteers of the college. The most efficient way possible, it will propel a student force ready to support the council in all of its activities, making use of whatever it is that they may choose to offer for service. It is in this way that the student council can guarantee success in all of its endeavors. Objectives 1. To formulate means by which the students of the college, which are at the same time constituents of the council members, can participate in activities of the council serving as volunteers 2. To provide an avenue for artistic and nationalistic expression to the students of the college by allowing them to share their effort and ideas at length of the planning and execution of the councils activities

3. To ensure greater efficiency in the carrying out of council programs and projects by mobilizing a sufficient number of volunteers and/or amount of manpower to work and operate through the course of these endeavors 4. To revitalize what has been an already existent Volunteer Corps system within the college by providing new projects and activities special only to this distinguished group of volunteers and by revising some of the existing rules and regulations that govern them 5. To develop the skills and nurture the talents of the student-artists of the college by taking an active part in the programs and projects of the council that aim to do the same 6. To pound a higher sense of social and cultural awareness and inculcate a sense of responsibility among the students of the college through their volunteer work in council activities that will serve to reach out to other people Nature of the Committee The Committee primarily functions to set and coordinate all activities of the colleges Volunteer Corps. It shall do so through a structural body composed of incumbent and duly designated members of the CAL Student Council whose simple and straightforward organizational set-up is proposed as follows: Committee Head The Committee Head shall be responsible for the complete supervision of all committee works which includes all its planned projects and activities He/She shall preside over all the meetings set by the Committee He/She shall ensure that all the members of the Committee are performing properly and adequately as what their adopted functions and responsibilities may provide He/She is expected to perform such other functions, necessary to further the function, purpose and objective of the Committee Committee Secretary The Committee Secretary shall record the minutes of all committee meetings and then furnish a copy of which to all members of the committee

He/She shall maintain an updated record, a directory, of all contact information of the student-volunteers that the committee has recruited to be part of the Volunteer Corps He/She is expected to perform such other functions and reasonable tasks as may be assigned or delegated to him/her by the Committee Head

Department Coordinators The Department Representatives shall serve to perform the functions of Department Coordinators They shall serve as headhunters, recruiting throughout the academic year as much willing and eager prospective student-volunteers as they can from their respective departments They shall be responsible for the official communication and coordination between the Committee and the volunteer unit in their respective departments They shall ensure that a sufficient amount of manpower, coming from the volunteers, would meet the resource needs of the student council in its projects and activities They are expected to perform such other functions and reasonable tasks as may be assigned or delegated to them by the Committee Head Provision: Committee Assignment To ensure efficiency in the mobilization of the volunteers, the Committee shall distribute the members of the Volunteer Corps to work for the different committees of the council. This provision also answers to the need of other committees for additional manpower or even for a VolCorps of their own, while centralizing the supervision and management of the volunteers through this Committee.

Projects and Activities Since it is given that the Volunteer Corps would function in projects and programs of the student council, be it proposed here that a certain set of activities special only to this group shall be organized by the Committee .

Sign-Up Booth The Committee shall be expected to set up a booth during the first few weeks of the semester, along with other organizations, to encourage students to enlist in the Volunteer Corps. The booth also serves as an information desk to answer to student queries regarding the sign up process and future council activities as well.

VolCorps Orientation Just like joining any organization, one has to be acquainted with or at least have a clue of what he/she really signed up for. The Committee shall then hold an orientation to prospective members of the VolCorps, giving light on what they should expect to do, on what is expected of them, on who they are going to work with and on what they can actually get out of being part of it.

Regular VolCorps Meetings The Committee shall set a regular series of meetings, the frequency of which shall also be determined, throughout the academic year which shall involve all members of the Volunteer Corps. This will serve as a venue for the volunteers to address their concerns and assessment regarding council activities that they have worked on and to give their opinions and suggestions on how the council can improve its future endeavors.

VolCorps Appreciation Night The Committee, at the end of the academic year, shall make plans for an appreciation night where the student council will recognize distinguished members of the Volunteer Corps who may have exhibited remarkable performances in their job as volunteers. This shall also serve as an opportunity for the council to give back to the Volunteer Corps and acknowledge them for their work.

Department Core Groups Headed by their Department Coordinators, members of a certain department may work among themselves through a core group where they can organize their own activities. This is a way for them to foster camaraderie and form bonds for a better working relationship.