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MCS 2021-2022 COVID Volunteer Policy

MCS is asking that volunteers who will be entering the school during the 2021-2022 school year have completed the COVID-19 vaccination. Volunteers who have not completed their COVID-19 vaccination are invited to continue volunteering virtually or off-site.

As a part of our relationship with Muncie Community Schools, President Mearns has committed the time and talents of Ball State faculty, staff, and students to enhance the success of our public school system.

Ball State’s policy allows employees to volunteer on university time, with supervisor approval. Volunteer opportunities are managed through GivePulse.

For questions, contact Tiffani Arnold-Pine, Office of Community Engagement. 

Find Volunteer Opportunities

Before You Register

Please review the following policies:  

  • You must obtain your supervisor’s pre-approval to perform volunteer activities that coincide with your work hours.
  • No additional pay will be provided for volunteer activities that occur outside of your regular work hours.
  • Travel costs are not reimbursable.
  • In cases where the volunteer time coincides with your regular work hours, you will enter the time in Kronos as “Volunteer Pay.”
  • Background checks are required (see below).
  • Temporary and student employees are not compensated for volunteer time.
  • Consult our frequently asked questions (PDF) for more information about requesting and reporting volunteer hours.

Take a look at the Muncie Community Schools background check policy.

Faculty/Professional Staff

Ball State employees engaged in an academic project, program, research, or volunteer effort that involves direct, frequent contact with MCS students must complete a national background check (good for one academic year). Ball State Human Resources will contact you to authorize the check, at no cost to you. You will be notified once the background check is complete.

For faculty-led Efforts with Students

Once your project is approved (via Submittable), please send a list of student participants to Ball State’s Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical Practice (OTES) via email at least 10 business days before entering an MCS building. Please use the subject line, “Background Check List for Approved MCS Proposal.” Students are responsible for the cost of their background check ($25) and must complete the EduRisk training, Protecting Children from Sexual Misconduct.

Students

Ball State students engaged in an academic project, program, research, or volunteer effort that involves direct, frequent contact with MCS students must complete a national background check (good for one academic year) through the Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical Practice (OTES). You are responsible for the cost of your background check ($25) and must complete the EduRisk training, Protecting Children from Sexual Misconduct 10 business days before entering an MCS building. Check with your instructor about your responsibility to contact OTES (email) and other expectations related to communications and interactions.

For Graduate Students

If you are embedded within the schools but not associated with a specific project, your background check will be processed through Ball State’s Human Resources. You will receive an email from HR to authorize a national background check, at no cost to you.

Employee and Student Volunteers

If your volunteer activities do not involve direct, frequent contact with MCS students, your background check requirements may be different. Please contact Tiffani Arnold-Pine, Office of Community Engagement, for more information.

For Employee Volunteers

Ball State allows employees to volunteer on university time, with supervisor approval. Muncie Community Schools uses GivePulse to share and manage volunteer opportunities that are available to faculty, staff, and students.

If you suspect that a student is being abused or other critical incidents such as threats to school safety, you must report it. Discuss the procedures for mandatory reporting of critical incidents with the appropriate MCS faculty member (classroom teacher) or administrator in the school you are placed.

For a more detailed overview of the pre-screening process, procedures, and expectations at Muncie Community Schools, please review Working with MCS (PDF). District teachers helped create this overview of school culture to ensure you enjoy a rewarding, safe and productive experience at Muncie Community Schools.

Register on GivePulse

1. Find an opportunity.

  • Visit GivePulse and click on “Sign Up” in the upper right-hand corner. Use your Ball State username and password to sign in.
  • Browse the opportunities and click to learn more and register.
  • Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation. Note: You are not eligible to serve until you have completed the appropriate background check.
  • To change or cancel your registration, please indicate the change in GivePulse at notify the appropriate MCS school at least 48 hours in advance.

2. Log impacts. 

  • Once you complete volunteering, you will receive an email with a link to “log your impact.”
  • Verify the information and indicate the time contributed. If you’d like, leave a review about your experience.
  • You can record other impacts such as money, goods, training, etc.

3. Use the app.

You can search for open volunteer opportunities, register, and log your impacts using the GivePulse app.