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SNS Visitors, Affiliates and Volunteers

Overview

The University of California, Merced is host to a number of local, national, and international visitors. These visitors may be coming to campus as a visitor, a volunteer, or an affiliate scholar. It is the responsibility of the faculty host or staff member, who invite individuals to campus or agree to requests for visitation, to ensure compliance with all applicable University policies and procedures. These guidelines are being provided to assist you in addressing the needs of these individuals, recognizing their contributions, and to promote safety and compliance. 

Visitors

A person on leave from an academic appointment, other employment, or student enrollment at a home institution or other entity may be appointed as a Visitor to the University of California to participate in a short-term educational, research, or other academic project under the supervision of an academic appointee.  A Visitor shall be designated, as appropriate, as a Visiting Scholar (possessing a terminal degree), Visitor (Graduate Student), or Visitor (Undergraduate).  A Visitor (Graduate Student) and Visitor (Undergraduate) must be enrolled in a degree granting program or equivalent at an institution of higher education other than the University of California. One-time participants in accredited continuing education activities are exempted from these definitions. For more information on visitors please see APM-430. 

To host a visitor, complete the SNS Visitor Request Webform. Please allow at least one month processing time. 

     To complete your request to host an visitor, please have the following ready:

  •      Visitor's curriculum vitae

Affiliates

Affiliates are typically research collaborators who are hosted by faculty members.  Affiliates typically need physical access to campus or electronic access to campus systems.  It is not required to conduct an open recruitment to host an affiliate, and they are not paid nor processed in UCPath.

To host an affiliate, complete the SNS Affiliate Request Webform. Please allow at least two weeks processing time. 

     To complete your request to host an affiliate, please have the following ready:

Volunteers

Faculty members host volunteers to participate in on- or off-campus activities.  Volunteer participation is typically for a very brief amount of time, or sporadically throughout a temporary period of time (i.e., a few days per month for a year).  It is not required to conduct a recruitment or a search waiver to be a volunteer, and volunteers are not paid or processed in UCPath. The University's “Volunteers Procedures” are available online at the Risk Services website. Under these procedures a volunteer is defined as an individual who meets all three of the following conditions:

  1. The service is provided directly to the University; and
  2. The service is performed under the University’s supervision; and
  3. The service is entirely uncompensated; in exchange for the performance of the service, the volunteer derives no academic recognition or any other form of tangible benefit

The following is NOT considered volunteer service:

  1. The service is given in exchange for academic credit, for academic recognition or for similar academic benefit.
  2. The service is compensated by an external, non-University organization (e.g. visiting scholars receiving support from home institutions)
  3. The service is provided by an individual affiliated with an external, non-University organization (e.g. Red Cross).
  4. The service is provided pursuant to a court order, fine, restitution agreement, or similar directive.

Departments are responsible to ensure that volunteers in research labs follow general and laboratory specific safety practices as outlined in the Laboratory Safety Plan.

If the prospective volunteer is in the United States on a visa, federal law may restrict certain volunteer activities. It is the visa holder's responsibility to be aware of whether the terms of their visa allow him or her to perform short-term unpaid work.

To host a volunteer, complete the SNS Volunteer Request Webform. Please allow at least two weeks processing time. 

     To complete your request to host a volunteer, please have the following ready: