Whether you are a returning volunteer or brand new to the Cal Alumni Association, we welcome you and thank you for volunteering. Without the generosity of alumni volunteers, it would not be possible to fulfill our mission. This handbook was created to introduce new volunteers to service opportunities at the Cal Alumni Association and to reintroduce our policies and procedures to veteran volunteers. Please review the information in this handbook carefully, as it answers many of the most frequently asked questions about volunteering. The Cal Alumni Association thanks you for your hard work, commitment, and enthusiasm.

There are a variety of ways to volunteer with the Cal Alumni Association. No matter your interests, availability, or skills there will be a way to give back to the University and connect with your fellow alumni.

SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION
From application readings and candidate interviews to outreach and networking, alumni are integral to the successful selection of our scholarship recipients. 
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STUDENT PROGRAMS
Help us demonstrate to current students, during key milestones in their student life cycle, that CAA and the alumni community are important catalysts and partners in their success. 
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ALUMNI CHAPTERS
Participate in the social, volunteering, and community activities of the regional, cultural, or special interest chapter of your choice. 
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THE BERKELEY NETWORK
Engage in networking and professional development opportunities with alumni and current Cal students and be the inspirational force for the next generation on campus.
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ACT stands for: Ambassadorship, Conscientious & Considerate, and Teamwork.

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AMBASSADORSHIP

What this means at CAA:

• The mission of CAA is to advance and promote the interests of the University of California, Berkeley. A key component of the mission is to act as ambassadors and advocates on behalf of the University.
• CAA defines ambassadorship as positive representation of the University and CAA within your Cal community.

What this means for you as an alumni volunteer:

• As an alumni volunteer and representative of the University and CAA, you are acting as an ambassador in all that you do.
• While serving in your position with CAA, you are expected to adhere to standards that promote positive ambassadorship of the University at all times.
• CAA’s Strategic Plan identifies being inclusive and inviting as a key component of ambassadorship. All alumni volunteers are expected to embrace this philosophy.

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CONSCIENTIOUS & CONSIDERATE

What this means at CAA:

• CAA staff is committed to providing all alumni volunteers with clear expectations, quality training, and timely support to ensure your success while serving the University and CAA.
• CAA staff will always be respectful of all alumni volunteers’ time and abilities.

What this means for you as an alumni volunteer:

• CAA volunteers should be conscientious of their time commitment to the program and their fellow volunteers.
• CAA expects alumni volunteers to be respectful and considerate when interacting with other volunteers, students, parents, campus staff, CAA staff and any other involved parties.
• At times, you may be privy to various levels of sensitive information. As a volunteer you are expected to keep alumni and/or student data secure at all times. Breaches in the area of privacy and confidentiality are taken very seriously by the University and CAA with serious legal consequences. Please refer to the Data Management Protocol and Confidential Information Agreement for more information.

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TEAMWORK

What this means at CAA:

• CAA will foster a collaborative and supportive environment with and among all alumni volunteers.
• CAA will be inventive, resourceful, and responsive in the provision and creation of resources for all alumni volunteers.

What this means for you as an alumni volunteer:

• CAA understands that you have a life outside of your volunteer responsibilities. If you are unable to fulfill your volunteer commitments with CAA, please communicate this to your CAA staff or volunteer contact promptly.
• Depending on your role as an alumni volunteer you will be receiving periodic communications from CAA and from other alumni volunteers. Please be respectful of the team’s efforts and provide responses in a timely fashion.

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ADDITIONAL POLICIES

CAA reserves the right to disengage with any alumni volunteer at any time who does not adhere to the ACT Principles or whose actions may not be appropriate for nor aligned with the mission or the goals of CAA and/or CAA programs.

Should alumni volunteers have a personal or professional conflict of interest arise when serving in their role, the CAA Program Manager/Director must be notified immediately.

Should alumni volunteers be approached by any media outlets, CAA requires that alumni volunteers preface any conversations with the fact that they are not an employee or representative of the University or CAA. If the volunteer is uncomfortable with speaking to the media or the media outlet wishes to speak with an official representative of the University or CAA, we ask that volunteers direct them to email volunteer@alumni.berkeley.edu and we will connect them appropriately.

Verbal and written communications between and among CAA staff, alumni volunteers, students, parents, campus staff, and community members should be respectful, positive, and constructive.

Any communications that are hateful, threatening, harassing, libelous, pornographic, incite violence, contain nudity, graphic or gratuitous violence, or unbecoming of a CAA ambassador will result in immediate dismissal and disengagement.

The Cal Alumni Association (CAA) is a welcoming and inclusive organization that invites feedback in order to improve our programs and services for the greater alumni community. When possible, we always look to identify and solve any issues that might arise at the individual program level. Should this not be possible, we have designed a formal complaints procedure aimed at providing a positive resolution in a timely fashion.

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WHO CAN FILE A COMPLAINT

Any person(s) with a concern can file a complaint about the conduct and/or actions of:

• an employee of the Cal Alumni Association
• a volunteer or member of the Cal Alumni Association
• the programs, services, and/or offerings of the Cal Alumni Association

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HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT

STEP ONE

The formal complaints procedure starts with the CAA Program Manager/Director directly associated with the program involving the complaint. All complaints should be submitted in writing via mail or email to that CAA Program Manager/Director who will acknowledge the receipt of the complaint within seven business days.

The CAA Program Manager/Director will carry out a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the complaint. The investigation may include but is not limited to:

• Interviewing involved parties
• Reviewing documents and written/verbal statements (when available)
• Evaluating the circumstances surrounding the complaint

A full response to a complaint can be expected within 20 business days from acknowledgement of receipt, though, if the issue is complicated it maybe extended; any delay will be explained.

The response received from the CAA Program Manager/Director will also inform complainant of his/her right to appeal the outcome of Step One. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the CAA Program Manager/Director within 15 business days of receipt. Appeals will be moved to Step Two.

Complainants should proceed straight to Step Two if the CAA Program Manager/Director is involved with the complaint.

STEP TWO

Step Two involves a review of the complaint by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Cal Alumni Association. The target times for response are seven business days to acknowledge receipt of complaint and 20 business days to complete investigation.

The Chief Operating Officer will verify that an investigation has been carried out fully and properly. The COO will ensure that the fundamental point of the complaint has been addressed and look at any outstanding issues raised by the complainant.

The response provided by the Chief Operating Officer will also inform the complainant of their right to appeal the findings should they not be satisfied with the outcome of Step Two. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the COO within 15 business days of the receipt. Appeals will be moved to Step Three.

Complainants should proceed straight to Step Three if the Chief Operating Officer is involved with the complaint.

STEP THREE

Step Three involves a review of the complaint by the Executive Director of the Cal Alumni Association. The target times for response are seven business days to acknowledge receipt of complaint and 20 business days to complete investigation.

The Executive Director will verify that the investigation during Steps One and Two has been carried out fully and properly. The Executive Director will ensure that the fundamental point of the complaint has been addressed and look at any outstanding issues raised by the complainant.

In Step Three, the Executive Director may deem it appropriate to bring the complaint before the CAA Board of Directors.

The response received from the Executive Director and/or the CAA Board of Directors will inform the complainant of the ultimate resolution of the complaint. All decisions reached in Step Three are final.

The University of California and the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) are aware of the growing concern about privacy. In an age with increasingly aggressive marketing tactics and identity theft, issues of what information is available to whom, and when, are at the forefront of our thoughts and have informed the creation of the CAA’s policies about data distribution and maintenance.

CAA will produce and distribute lists of contact information for relevant alumni/admitted students to CAA volunteers once we have received this from signed and dated, with the following stipulations:

• List will not be released or disclosed to individuals or entities.
• User will comply with UCB laws and policies including this DMPA and the Data Management, Use, and Protection Policy.
• List will be considered SINGLE USE ONLY documents.
• Lists will be destroyed after initial use.
• Lists will be used and destroyed within one month of receipt of list.
• Data will be:
  • Transferred via secure means from CAA to the alumni who has signed the DMPA (via encrypted excel file)
  • Kept in a secure location while in use
• Any computer containing data provided by CAA will be sufficiently secured through firewall protections and password protections.
• Alumni understand that the data provided by CAA will be appropriate to the current task (e.g. a listing of email addresses for an email communication, or a list of street addresses for a hard copy mailing).

I, the undersigned, have read and understood the contents of this agreement and promise to abide by the above stipulations.  I understand that if I do not follow the above rules, I will not be allowed to volunteer with CAA again in the future or be able to access contact information in the future.

Please Note - not all volunteer positions with CAA will have direct interaction with alumni/student data. The Program Manager for each department will indicate if this agreement pertains to your position and if your agreement is required to participate.  

Volunteers are required to complete the Volunteer Agreement for the Volunteer Handbook before volunteer service begins.

By completing the form below, the volunteer agrees to abide by the procedures outlined in the Volunteer Handbook while volunteering at the Cal Alumni Association.

Further, nothing in the Volunteer Handbook shall be construed to create an employment relationship of any nature whatsoever, nor does the relationship qualify for court-ordered community service.