Course Description

Volunteerism not only benefits a community; it can broaden the worldview of the volunteer. Students who give their time and energy to an approved community partner gain an opportunity to reflect on the value of the volunteer in contemporary society. Through research and discussion, students consider different types of volunteer settings, trace the history of volunteer organizations, examine the various roles volunteers play within society and reflect on ethical issues.

General Education Theme Area(s)

This is a General Education course that supports learning in the following theme area(s): Civic Life

Essential Employability Skills

This course contributes to your program by helping you achieve the following Essential Employability Skills:

EES 1 Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience. (A)
EES 7 Analyze, evaluate and apply relevant information from a variety of sources. (A)
EES 9 Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals. (A)
EES 10 Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects. (A)
Assessment Levels —T: Taught A: Assessed CP: Culminating Performance 

Course Learning Requirements / Embedded Knowledge and Skills

When you have earned credit for this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:

1. Establish and maintain volunteer service with a particular agency.

  • conduct research on and evaluate one's suitability for a particular volunteer agency
  • initiate contact and interview with that agency
  • perform volunteer service with the chosen agency both independently and under supervision
  • reflect on the impact of volunteering on one's self

2. Research and develop a comprehensive understanding of the history, organization, ethical guidelines and goals of a particular volunteer service agency.

  • describe an agency's history, clientele and the services the agency provides
  • assess the community's changing needs for these particular services
  • develop a client-centered understanding of the agency's services through interviews and interaction
  • evaluate the ethical guidelines of particular agencies as well as the need for ethical boundries, client and volunteer safety, and the potential conflict with personal morals.

3. Explain the value of and need for volunteering within the community.

  • articulate the benefits of hands-on experience volunteering for the community
  • reflect upon and articulate the challenges and rewards of volunteering

4. Compare the experiences of volunteers at other agencies with one's own for a broader perspective of the volunteer community.

  • describe volunteer services from a wider perspective through shared experiences
  • provide constructive feedback on the volunteer experience of others

Pre-defined Evaluation / Earning Credit

The following list provides evidence of this course's learning achievements and the outcomes they validate:

Discussion Forum (40%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 1, CLR 2, CLR 3, CLR 4, EES 1, EES 7, EES 9, EES 10

Written Assignment(s) (30%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 1, CLR 2, CLR 3, CLR 4, EES 1, EES 7, EES 10

Journal/Reflective Assignment(s) (30%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 2, CLR 3, CLR 4, EES 1, EES 10

Learning Resources

Some volunteer agency contacts are listed on the Brightspace site for this course.
TedTalks
Volunteer agency home pages 

Learning Activities

  • Independent research
  • Practical volunteer experience
  • Personal reflection
  • On-line discussion with classmates and professor

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Students who wish to apply for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) need to demonstrate competency at a post-secondary level in all outlined course learning requirements. Evidence of learning achievement for PLAR candidates includes:

  • Portfolio
  • Other: Please contact Course Lead Dawn Tresidder -  tresidd@algonquincollege.com for more information.

Other Information

Students are required to respect the confidentiality of employer, client and/or patient information, interactions, and practices that occur either on Algonquin College premises, or at an affiliated clinical/field/co-op placement site. Concerns regarding clients, patients, and/or employer practices are to be brought to the attention of the program coordinator, or designated field/clinical/co-op placement supervisor so that they may be resolved collaboratively. Such concerns are not to be raised publically either verbally, in writing, or in electronic forums. These matters are to be addressed through established program communication pathways.

Grade Scheme

Final Grade Mark Equivalent Numeric Value Final Grade Mark Equivalent Numeric Value
A+ 90% - 100% 4.0 A 85% - 89% 3.8
A- 80% - 84% 3.6 B+ 77% - 79% 3.3
B 73% - 76% 3.0 B- 70% - 72% 2.7
C+ 67% - 69% 2.3 C 63% - 66% 2.0
C- 60% - 62% 1.7 D+ 57% - 59% 1.4
D 53% - 56% 1.2 D- 50% - 52% 1.0
F 0% - 49% 0 FSP 0 0

Course Related Information

Please refer to the Course Section Information (CSI) / weekly schedule for specific course-related information as provided by your professor.

Program Information

Department Information

Student Success:

Student Academic Responsibilities

Each student is responsible for:

Knowing the due dates for marked out-of-class assignments.
Knowing the dates of in-class marked assignments and exercises.
Maintaining a folder of all work done in the course during the semester for validation claims in cases of disagreement with faculty.
Keeping both paper and electronic copies of all assignments, marked and unmarked, in case papers are lost or go missing;
Regularly checking both Brightspace announcements as well as one's Algonquin e-mail account for important messages from both professor and college administration.
Actively participating in on-line/remote and classroom exercises and activities as required.

Class Conduct:

It is expected that all students will arrive to class on time and demonstrate courteous behaviour toward the professor and fellow students. The classroom allows us the opportunity to learn together, and through this process, there may be times where exploring new concepts and ideas may seem difficult or uncomfortable. It is important for everyone to have a safe space to learn. Individuals who disrupt other students or behave in a manner that is not in accordance with College Policy SA07-Student Conduct will be asked to leave the classroom.

Assignments:

Professors will clearly outline the assignment format, due date/time and consequences for late submission in the Course Section Information (CSI). 
 
Late submissions may be subject to a late penalty or a mark of zero.
 
If a student is unable to complete the assignment at/by the originally scheduled date/time due to a medical or compassionate issue, professors may consider alternative accommodations as outlined in College Policy AA21-Deferred Evaluation.
 
Tests and Exams:

Professors will clearly outline the test/exam format and scheduled date/time in the Course Section Information (CSI).
 
Students are expected to make every effort to meet the originally scheduled course requirements by writing tests and examinations as scheduled and submitting assignments by the due date as outlined in College Policy AA21.
Students can request to have an evaluation rescheduled if one of the following eligibility criteria is met:

Suffer from a serious illness resulting in the inability to be present for a scheduled evaluation;
Have legal obligations such as jury duty or court appearances; 
Face significant personal circumstances such as family bereavement or family crisis;
Have a conflict with religious observanceStudents are to notify their professor of their absence in writing and of the need for a rescheduled evaluation as soon as possible, before or, in extenuating circumstances, immediately after the evaluation is missed, normally within three (3) working days. 

Documentation to support any of the eligibility criteria may be required.
 
Program Progression and graduation:

Students are advised to carefully read and be familiar with Policy AA39 - Program Progression and Graduation Requirements. Students must check with the program coordinator, Academic Advisor or Student Support Specialist as some programs may require success in 50% or more of their Level 1 courses in order to progress to Level 2 of the programs.
 
Students who fail to meet the outlined progression criteria to advance to Level 2 will be required to withdraw from the program and must reapply to Level 1 through the Ontario College Application Services www.ontariocolleges.ca if they wish to return.
 
Withdrawn students will be academically encumbered and must meet with the Academic Administrator or designate for review and advising before returning to the program.

College Related Information

Algonquin College’s policies have been developed to ensure the health, safety and security of all students, faculty and staff, and the proper and fair operation of the College as an academic institution and employer.  Please refer to the Algonquin College Policies website for the most current policy information available at http://www.algonquincollege.com/policies/.

Students are especially encouraged to be aware of the following College expectations

Academic Integrity 
Algonquin College is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity, and students are expected to uphold these standards as part of the learning process. Any academic work submitted by a student is expected to be their own work, unless designated otherwise and all sources must be attributed. All students should be familiar with the Algonquin College policy AA48: Academic Integrity .  In some courses, online proctoring may be used to discourage cheating. Additional information can be found at https://www.algonquincollege.com/studentsupportservices/student-learning-kit/preparing-to-learn-online/. Students with any questions about the course expectations for academic dishonesty and plagiarism are encouraged to speak to their professor.

Centre for Accessible Learning
Students with visible and/or non-visible disabilities are encouraged to register with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) in order to be eligible for appropriate learning supports and/or accommodations.  Students are strongly encouraged to make an appointment at the Centre for Accessible Learning as early as possible when starting a program. Once your needs are identified, a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) will be issued which you can share with your professors. If you are a returning student, please ensure that professors are given a copy of your LOA each semester.

College Email
Students at Algonquin College are provided with a college email account. This is the address that will be used when the College, your professors, or your fellow students communicate important information about your program or course activities.  Your network credentials can be found in the ACSIS portal and you are expected to check your Algonquin email regularly and to use it to send and receive college-related email. Support is available through the college Information Technology Service (ITS) at: https://www.algonquincollege.com/its/

Retroactive Accommodations
Students are expected to meet evaluation and completion deadlines as stated in course outline and course section information documents. In circumstances where evaluation and/or completion deadlines are missed or student performance has been affected by a temporary or permanent disability (including mental health), interim or retroactive accommodations may be considered. In such instances, please consult your course faculty member. For other situations where deferral of evaluations may be warranted, please consult Algonquin College Policy AA21: Deferred Evaluation.

Student Course Feedback
Algonquin College’s invites students to share their course experience by completing a student course feedback survey for each course they take. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA25: Student Course Feedback.

Use of Mobile Devices in Class
With the proliferation of small, personal mobile devices used for communications and data storage, Algonquin College believes there is a need to address their use during classes and examinations. During classes, the use of such devices can be  disruptive and disrespectful to others. During examinations, the use of such devices may facilitate cheating. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA32: Use of Mobile Devices in Class

Technology Requirements
As Algonquin College continues to respond to public health guidelines, many courses will be offered through remote delivery. As such, students will be required to have access to a computer and to the internet. There may also be additional technology-related resources required to participate in a course that are not included in the course materials fee, such as headphones, webcams, specialized software, etc. Details on these requirements can be found in the Course Section Information of the course outline for each course available on Brightspace.

Transfer of Credit
It is the student’s responsibility to retain course outlines for possible future use to support applications for transfer of credit to other educational institutions.