Holleran Center Community Service

To obtain a pre-approval of service hours, record service hours or locate service opportunities please visit Alvernia's volunteer-signup page. If you are in need of community services opportunities, options are available below.
 

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Visit: https://volunteer.alvernia.edu/need/

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others? - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Purpose

Community service has its roots deeply embedded in the foundation of Alvernia University and is central to the mission of our Catholic, Franciscan institution. Service provides students the opportunity to use their gifts and talents to help those in need and to support an organization’s purpose-driven mission. Additionally, community service is an integral part of students’ learning experiences, contributing to their intellectual, social, and spiritual growth and development and providing a framework for students’ roles as members of both local, regional and global communities.

Requirement

All Alvernia students must perform 40 hours of community service before being certified for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete their requirements before the end of their sophomore year, and then to exceed them. Transfer students community service hours are based on remaining Alvernia credits required; transfer students should consult with the Registrar to receive an accurate community service requirement based on transferred credits.

Guidelines

Performing direct service to people who are most vulnerable or in need is consistent with Alvernia’s Franciscan mission. Our commitment to service and providing valuable assistance to our local and global community is part of what makes Alvernia distinct among liberal arts colleges and universities. Our mission of creating engaged moral citizens begins with who and where we serve as well as how we reflect on these experiences. We further uphold our dedication to the Franciscan mission and cultivation of servant-leaders by observing the following:

• Students must submit service hours by logging in their Get Connected account before the end of the semester in which the hours were completed. Hours completed in the Fall Semester must be turned in by January 15th, Winterim hours by February 15th, hours for the Spring Semester by May 15th and hours for the Summer by September 15th. Hours from previous semesters will not be accepted.
• Hour submissions are not valid unless they have the name and contact information of a supervisor. You cannot list yourself as supervisor.
• Service hours are strongly encouraged to directly benefit an outside group of person(s) or a mission-centered organization in accordance with our service roots as we actively serve our community, environment, and the mutual transformation of all involved.
• Service hours performed online or virtually (including the making of care packages/ card making) must be pre-approved by the Holleran Center. Unless otherwise approved, no more than ½ of a student’s community service requirement may be performed virtually or online.
• Service hours performed with an on-campus entity (defined as a department, club, or athletic group) should follow the same service principles and have a significant contribution and impact on others. While service to Alvernia’s community is deeply appreciated, hours will be approved on a case to case basis and no more than ½ of a student’s community service requirement may be performed on-campus. Students must complete the Community Service Pre-Approval Form prior to serving with an on-campus entity.
• Community service that is not performed with an approved Community Partner must be pre‐approved by the Holleran Center for Community Engagement. The official list of Community Partners is compiled and maintained by the Holleran Center or is available on Get Connected.
• Community service can be performed with approved community partners, pre-approved on-campus entities, or with pre-approved mission-centered organizations in a student's home community.
• Students may not perform their community service under direct supervision of a relative or close family friend.
• Pre-approval of community service and questions may be directed to the Holleran Center for Community Engagement at 610-790-1925 or holleran.center@alvernia.edu.
• Community service is a hallmark of an Alvernia University education. Community service, along with service‐learning incorporated into individual class curriculum, forms the basis for a lifelong dedication and commitment for contributions to community engagement. Service‐learning courses designated by the co-directors of real world learning qualify for 15 hours of community service, to be approved by co-directors of real world learning.
• Incoming/newly enrolled students cannot begin accruing hours towards their graduation service requirement until they are a matriculated student at the university. Previously performed hours cannot be transferred in to the university.

Please contact the Holleran Center at 610-790-1925 or at holleran.center@alvernia.edu for questions about the Community Service Requirement.