The Untapped Potential of Australian University Students
(revised version published in the Australian Journal of Volunteering, vol. 5 no.2 pp. 3-9)

by Judy Esmond, Ph. D.

Abstract

As the voluntary sector continues its search to recruit volunteers to respond to ever-increasing demands on their services, the untapped potential of Australian University Students remains relatively dormant.  Few studies have explored this potential source of volunteers.  This article presents the findings of one such study of 162 students attending Curtin University, Western Australia.  The study found that despite time constraints, 92% of students surveyed would be interested in volunteering.  However, the voluntary work needed to be short-term and time-focused. The awarding of academic credits was seen as an important attraction to students to volunteer, but in association other benefits such as references for employers, relevant career experience, personal growth, fun and enjoyment.  The study concludes that to tap into this enormous pool of future volunteers, the combined effort of both universities and the voluntary sector is vital.

Introduction

In Australia today, the voluntary sector is facing increasing pressure to provide services formerly resourced by government organisations.  Concepts developed around 'Reinventing Government' (Osborne & Gaebler, 1993; Sturgess, 1994) have seen the preponderance of market place terminology such as: 'customer focus', 'corporatisation', 'brokerage', 'competitive tendering', and 'contracting out' (Brennan, 1998; Lewis, 1996; Rogan, 1996).  In such a competitive environment and with limited budgets, many non-profit organisations are relying more and more on volunteers, with the need to constantly recruit and retain volunteers becoming an increasing priority.  Finding new 'pools' of volunteers is now of vital importance.  One potential source of future volunteers is university students.

Student volunteering has long been an integral part of university life in the United States.  A large number of American universities have 'Service Learning Centers', which provide a wide range of voluntary programs in which students volunteer to participate.  These centres are seen "...both as a form of experiential education and a type of public service activity" (Firman, Gelfand & Ventura, 1983:185).  Students often receive academic credit for their involvement in activities as many of the service-learning placements are integrated into the university courses.  The type of activities that students undertake, include: "...direct services to youth, assist non-profit organisations with administrative and financial support, serve as advocates or mentors, research issues and develop policy" (Service Learning Center Report, 1994:2).

So how does our own country compare in utilising University students as volunteers?  Blanchard, Rostant and Finn (1995:16) in one of the few surveys of Australian tertiary education institutions found that:  "...only a small number provided any form of student volunteer service activities...The general impression, therefore, appears to be that volunteer programs in Australian universities are scarce and limited in scope".

At the same time, Blanchard, Rostant and Finn (1995) also conducted a survey of university students at Curtin University in Western Australia, which provided one of the first insights into student volunteering in this country.   The survey of 700 students from across the university, found that only 151 students had been involved in voluntary work.  Of these students who had been volunteers, they had most frequently been involved in fundraising, followed by committee work, youth work and services to the elderly.  

The researchers found that students saw that the main obstacle to volunteer work was lack of time because of study commitments.  However, a lack of finances, motivation and interest were also prominent responses.  Despite identifying drawbacks to volunteering, most students also saw definite benefits to volunteering.  These benefits included personal satisfaction, personal development, relevant career experience and helping and meeting others.

>From this survey, Blanchard, Rostant and Finn (1995:25) concluded that: "...it is evident that the majority of students not involved in volunteer service would consider participation in the future".

The Study and Findings

In early 2000, a follow-up study was undertaken with Curtin University students to re-examine some of the questions asked by Blanchard, Rostant and Finn in 1995.  Unlike the previous survey, this research concentrated on a specific rather than a generic student population.  A sample group of 162 students from psychology, social work and social welfare studies completed an anonymous questionnaire during class-time.

The University students surveyed ranged in age from 17 through to 55 years.  With 59% being under 25 years, 21% were 26 to 35 years and 19% were 36 to 55 years. 

Nearly 70% of the students had been in voluntary work at some time in their lives.  Of these volunteers, 36% were involved for less than one year, 43% for between one and five years and 22% for six years or more.  The frequency of their involvement in voluntary work varied from weekly (60%), fortnightly (18%) and monthly (23%). 

Of those students who had volunteered, only 44% of them were still involved as volunteers. The main factors identified as preventing their continued volunteer involvement were a lack of time because of study, work and family commitments.

When students were asked what influences had directed them towards volunteering, the three main responses given were: a personal decision, interest in the field and the opportunity for professional experience. 

Students were also asked what motivated them to become involved in volunteer work, the main responses being:  the satisfaction of helping others, assisting them in future employment, the chance to make a difference and dedication to a cause.

Interestingly, when those students who were no longer actively involved in voluntary work and those who had never volunteered were asked if they would consider voluntary work in the future, 92% responded yes they would be interested. 

Exploring this further, when students were asked what would attract them to volunteer work a range of multiple responses were identified, as shown below in Table 1.  

Table 1.  What would attract you to volunteering?
Attractions to volunteering Total (N = 278 responses)  

Time available 53
Worthy cause 48
Interesting work 38
Personal growth 36
Enjoyment/fun 35
Credit points for units 21
Gain experience 19
Being asked 15
Ease of involvement & access 13

When the students were asked what they considered to be the drawbacks of volunteering, the main factors identified were a conflict with other commitments and that volunteering could often be very time-consuming.  Further issues, were also mentioned by students including: the unreliability of other people, unappreciative people and being taken advantage of by other people.

Finally, students were asked to identify what they considered the best ways of attracting other university students to volunteer, the suggestions are found below in Table 2.

Table 2.  What would attract other university students to volunteering?
Attractions to volunteering Total (N = 485 responses)

Offer credits for units 79
Provide relevant work 68
Provide references for employers 66
Making it fun 60
Flexible times to volunteer 57
Provide interesting work 52
Paying volunteers 33
Short-term commitment projects 30
Clearly defined goals and commitment by the voluntary organisation 29
Advertise/promote volunteer opportunities 11

Discussion and Conclusions

Compared to the study previously undertaken by Blanchard, Rostant and Finn (1995), this study found many similarities in the responses of students to the concept of volunteering.  The findings of this latest research provide interesting points for further consideration.

Although a large number of students had previous experience as volunteers (70%), the percentage still involved in voluntary work dropped dramatically to 40%.  A reduction in available time with increasing study, family and work commitments was a significant reason given by the students for their cessation of volunteer involvement.  At first glance, these findings seem to offer little hope of engaging these students in further voluntary work, as they no longer have the time to do so while studying.

However, when considered with the fact that 92% of those students who were no longer volunteering or never had volunteered, stated they would be interested in volunteer work, a different picture emerges.   If students are obviously willing but have limited time to engage in volunteer work, then the challenge becomes clear for those in the voluntary sector wishing to access university students as volunteers.  Short-term, focused and time-limited voluntary work must be offered to attract students back to and into volunteering.  Long-term commitment and time-consuming voluntary work would clearly not attract the majority of students. 

Interestingly, this challenge is not just an issue for those organisations wanting to attract university students as volunteers but also for attracting volunteers from the general population in the community.  In researching for an upcoming book entitled "Count Me In! 501 Ideas on Recruiting Volunteers" (Esmond, in press), the author found that short-term, time-limited voluntary assignments are a growing trend and it remains a real challenge to attract an increasingly busy and 'time-strapped' population.  Other writers in the volunteering field (Ellis, 1996; Macduff, 1991) have also written about this trend in the United States and the challenges it involves, particularly for those who have designed volunteer job descriptions that ask volunteers to commit for lengthy periods of time. 

Another aspect of the findings of the present research was that students felt that they would be attracted to volunteering by finding a worthy cause, or where there were opportunities for personal growth, or relevant experience for their chosen profession, or fun and enjoyment.  If such short-term assignments could offer some or all of these 'attraction' elements, it is much more likely that students would return for further assignments.   For as Ellis (1996: 42) points out:  "experience has shown that a percentage of volunteers who seek short-term assignments will 're-up' for a new assignment if the first one was satisfying."  A short-term assignment may then translate into a series of  'episodic' commitments over a longer period of time.

When these personal 'attractions' are combined with student suggestions as to what would attract other university students to volunteering, including the provision of references for employers and flexible times to volunteer, a 'blueprint' begins to emerge for those organisations looking to recruit university students.

Attention must also be paid to the fact that students identified the allocation of academic credit points for volunteer work.

In Australia, few universities are actively involved in student volunteering programs (with 'Curtin Volunteers' at Curtin University being an exception), and even fewer in the provision of academic credits for students undertaking volunteer work.  It can be argued that awarding credits would change the process from being voluntary in nature to compulsory academic obstacles for students.  Serow (1990:203) suggests that: "...the issue is not only how to encourage community service, but how to develop the values that will lead students to undertake such projects of their own accord".  Carino (1996:30), in discussing the citizenship gains for student volunteers defines "voluntarism as an instrument of values education...". 

Interestingly, the findings of this study suggest that the allocation of credit points is only one aspect of attracting students to volunteering and other benefits such as personal growth, making a difference, fun and enjoyment may well be the 'key' factors in the students' continuing involvement as a volunteer.  It may be that achieving credit points will introduce students to the voluntary organisation but the other benefits offered by the organisation will keep students coming back long after their unit requirements are completed.

Australian academics are not necessarily averse to the proposition of student volunteering, but the coordination of such a process requires a high degree of planning, interaction and monitoring between university staff, students and the voluntary sector, if it is to be a rewarding experience for all concerned.  

The acceleration of volunteering by students and the continuing discussion of allocating academic credits in Australian universities will require a concerted effort from both the voluntary sector and the universities themselves.  Neither can work in isolation.  Indeed it is the 'pull' from 'outside', from those organisations determined to advance the process, and the 'push' from 'inside', from those academics who can see the merits of voluntary service, in association with the students, that must drive the future development of university based volunteering. 

This study provides an insight into the perspectives of students themselves and a 'stepping stone' for further research.   At Curtin University alone, there are approximately 20,000 students in attendance each year and this is only one of more than 100 tertiary institutions of varying size throughout Australia.  The potential 'pool' of untapped volunteers is enormous.  The fast approaching International Year of the Volunteer offers the opportunity to continue to aim towards a vision that may provide "all members of the...university community with the opportunity to develop an ethic of service by connecting campus and community through volunteer experience!"  (adapted from the Curtin Volunteers  original brochure, 1994:1)

References

Blanchard, A., Rostant, J. & Finn, L. 1995, Involving Curtin in a volunteer community service program:  A report on a quality initiatives project, School of Social Work, Curtin University of Technology, Perth.

Brennan, D. 1998, Government and civil society:  Restructuring community services, In P. Smyth & B. Cass (eds.), Contesting the Australian way:  States, markets and civil society (pp.124-137), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Carino, L.V. 1996, The role of universities in voluntarism in the 21st century, Australian Journal on Volunteering, 1(2), 27-33.

Curtin Volunteers, 1994, Curtin Volunteers brochure, Curtin University, Perth.

Esmond, J.  (in press), Count me in!  501 ideas on recruiting volunteers.

Ellis, S.J. 1996, The volunteer recruitment and membership development book, (2nd ed.), Energize, Philadelphia.

Firman, J.P., Gelfand, D.E., & Ventura, C. 1983, Students as resources to the aging network, The Gerontologist, 23 (2), 185-191.

Lewis, J. 1996, What does contracting do to voluntary agencies?, In D. Billis & M. Harris (eds.), Voluntary agencies: Challenges of organisation and management, (pp. 98-112), Macmillan Press, London.

Rogan, L. 1996, Tides of change in community services, In A. Farrar & J. Inglis (eds.), Keeping it together:  State and civil society in Australia, (pp,130-151),  Pluto Press, New South Wales.

Macduff, N. 1991, Episodic volunteering:  Building the short-term volunteer program, MBA Publishing, Walla Walla, WA.

Osborne, D., & Gaebler, T. 1992, Reinventing government: How the entrepreneurial spirit is transforming the public sector, Plume, New York.

Service Learning Center, Department of Student Life, Division of Student Affairs and Services 1994, Service Learning Center report, Michigan State University, Michigan

Serow, R.C. 1990, Volunteering and values:  An analysis of students' participation in community service', Journal of Research and Development in Education, 23 (4), 198-203.

Sturgess, G. 1994, Virtual government:  An Australian perspective on reinventing government", Canberra Bulletin of Public Administration, 77, 43-48.