Student Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions

• What volunteer opportunities are available for Debate 2012?

  Volunteers will be crucial to the success of the Debate on October 16. There are four primary categories of volunteers. Students may apply to one of the following three Debate categories: Event Operations, Media and Communication, and Debate Production. In addition, students may also apply to "Join the Debates," a new initiative for 2012. "Join the Debates" does not overlap with the other categories, so you are free to apply for one opportunity or both; acceptance into one category does not affect your participation in or consideration for both.

• Who is eligible to volunteer?

  All Hofstra University full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students in good standing enrolled during the Fall 2012 semester are eligible to volunteer. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider volunteer applications from alumni, retirees, parents, vendors, and the broader community.

• How can I apply?

  To apply and for more information on the specific opportunities available, please visit Pride-CMS, located under My Apps on the Hofstra Portal, my.hofstra.edu. Click on Jobs and Internships and under the keyword search "Hofstra University Debate 2012." Here you will be able to view job descriptions, the application process, and volunteer expectations.

• Can I apply to more than one category of volunteer positions?

  You may apply for one Debate category and/or as a "Join the Debates" facilitator. You should only apply to one Debate category with the three positions you are most interested in working. Please note the top three positions of interest to you in your cover letter. However, you may opt in to be randomly placed if needs should arise in other areas by mentioning this in your cover letter. Please indicate in your cover letter WHY you should be selected for the volunteer position you are applying for.

• Who reviews applications and selects volunteers?

  The Debate Volunteer Committee is comprised of individuals from across campus responsible for managing the various volunteer positions.

• Who reviews applications and selects volunteers?

  The Debate Volunteer Committee is comprised of individuals from across campus responsible for managing the various volunteer positions.

• What are the criteria used for selecting volunteers?

  The Committee will review the quality of the application materials and the level of interest of the applicant in the volunteer opportunity. The Committee will also consider previous experiences and skill sets, when appropriate. All students must also be in good academic standing and registered for classes in the fall.

• How many volunteers are needed?

  We anticipate needing approximately 300 volunteers for this historic event.

• Will volunteers have access to the debate hall?

  A very limited number of volunteer positions will have access to the debate hall. Individuals interested in volunteering should not anticipate having access to the debate hall.

• Can volunteers still be part of the ticket lottery?

  Volunteers will have to be background checked, credentialed, trained and will work closely with the various aspects of the debate and therefore in most cases substituting a volunteer at the last minute is not possible. Therefore, with the exception of the "Join the Debates" facilitators, volunteers cannot be part of the ticket lottery.

• When will volunteers be needed?

  Volunteers may be asked to commit to both a pre-determined schedule of assignments leading up to the days of the debate, as well as being available for on-call assignments well in advance of the debate.

• Which positions require availability for the days/weeks leading up to the event?

  Positions requiring extra flexibility in your personal schedule during the October 1 - October 16 time period mention this in the position description. These positions may require you to volunteer in the days leading up to the Debate and/or on Debate day. Only those with flexible availability should consider selecting one of these volunteer opportunities.

• What is the deadline to apply to volunteer?

  The priority deadline is August 3, 2012 for credentialed positions. However, applications may still be received up until September 7, 2012. If additional positions, non-credentialed, open up after that time, students will be notified.

• When and how will I know if I have been selected as a volunteer?

  Selected volunteers will receive an email notification to their Hofstra email address on a rolling basis. Selected volunteers for credentialed positions will be notified by mid August.

• In my acceptance materials, why are you requesting my social security number, date of birth, sex, and citizenship status?

  Hofstra University is required by the US Secret Service to conduct a background check on all volunteers. The Debate Volunteer Committee will not have access to this information when making its decisions.

• Why do you want to know if I have a car? If I do not, will it hurt my opportunities to volunteer?

  A limited number of positions will require a volunteer to run errands off campus, which will require personal transportation. The majority of positions will not require transportation.

• Will I need to attend a training for my position?

  Yes. All volunteers will need to attend one of the mandatory training sessions. Training sessions will be held in September, and those selected will be notified of the dates/times.

• Can I volunteer if I am an international student?

  Yes. International students can apply. If selected, all volunteers will complete a credentialing form and international students will need to provide passport information.

Pride-CMS/ Application related FAQs:

• When I click on the Pride-CMS icon under MyApps in the Portal, I get a secondary login page. How do I fix this?

  You may have to allow your internet browser to see the site. Make sure you can see pop-ups and then allow for the following site: https://hofstra-csm.symplicity.com/students/ However, you must log on through the Hofstra Portal after doing this.

• Pride-CMS is asking me to enter identifying information under the Profile feature. Is that right?

  When you enter Pride-CMS for the first time, the system will ask you to fill out some mandatory fields in your Profile. Once you are done, please press Save. Then you can continue to the Jobs & Internships feature, and type in Hofstra University Debate 2012 in the Keyword field. From there you can read the descriptions.

• I don't see the Apply button. Where is the application?

  In order to apply for the volunteer positions, you must upload a resume and cover letter under the Documents feature. Once you do this, you must click back into the volunteer category of choice and the Apply button will be highlighted. Click on the Apply button and choose which documents (resume and cover letter) you want to submit.