VCL Volunteers

About

Volunteers…

  • Take priority over Co-Pilots in being trained in research activities
  • Must dedicate a minimum of 9 hours per week to the lab
  • Have signed a Volunteer Contract and submitted a letter of intent

Volunteers are members who have been Co-Pilots or Directed Studies students for a period of time and have then signed a Volunteer Contract making specific commitments to the lab. Volunteers are expected to be more autonomous, take more initiative, and commit more time to the lab than Co-Pilots. The contract lasts a minimum of 1 school term (3 months during the winter session/2 months during the summer session) and a maximum of 2 school terms. After that, a Volunteer can either renew the contract or go on to become an RA or Project Leader with recommendations from other lab members.

A volunteer will be able to do everything that a Co-Pilot can do, but will have priority in receiving training in research activities because they are committing to their project leader a set amount of hours. A Volunteer must commit at least 9 hours a week to agreed upon lab duties. A commitment of 9 hours a week is approximately the minimum amount of time needed to gain the skills that a research lab would expect from a seasoned volunteer.