Activity Report of the Volunteer Office for academic year 2021-2022

No.25/19.09.2022

(Volunteer Office)

In the university year 2021-2022, within the program “Volunteer at UBB” of the Volunteering Office, 506 volunteer contracts were concluded, registering a small increase compared to the previous academic year. This increase comes due to the stabilization of the pandemic situation at local level and in the country. The pre-university and university units also returned to on-site regimeof the teaching-learning process in March 2022.

Regarding the volunteer certificates, an important component that justifies the involvement of volunteers and that confers work experience in the field of activity, between 2021-2022 a number of 618 certificates were issued, the highest number since the launch of the volunteering program at UBB. Most of the UBB volunteers, according to the reports submitted by the volunteer coordinators, obtained for the activity carried out during the contractual period the qualification “very good” or “excellent”.

39 teachers or researchers – volunteer coordinators – have carried out volunteer programs with a duration of at least one month in 27 UBB structures/faculties, among which we mention: “Nicolae Bocșan” Institute of Ecclesiastical History, Career Center, Professional Orientation and Alumni, International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Mental Health, The Office for Students with Disabilities, Museum of Zoology, Council of Students of Babeș-Bolyai University, Japanese Cultural Center, “Alexandru Borza” Botanical Garden, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences – Department of Applied Didactic Training, Faculty of History and Philosophy, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Student Expert Counseling Center, Museum of History of Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Business, PsyTech Clinic, Center of International Cooperation, University Cultural Heritage Department – University Archive Service, Virtual and Documentary Museum of the Holocaust in Northern Transylvania, Personal Data Protection at UBB, Cluj Faculty of Sociology and Social Assistance, “Alexandru Duma” Museum and others. The contribution of volunteers within these structures amounts to over 100,000 hours of volunteering.

Informal development programs and opportunities within UBB reached students through the website (www.voluntariat.centre.ubbcluj.ro) which was constantly updated and provided support to coordinators and volunteers who had requests. For a better transparency and to reach a wider audience, the website is being updated to become bilingual. The first steps were taken in 2022, when the “Volunteer Program Regulations Volunteer at UBB” and the “Activity Report for 2021” were translated in English and uploaded on the site. All the facilities offered by the site will to be accessible in English from the academic year 2022-2023. 

Another way in which we have managed to reach more young people and students this year is through social networks. On the existing Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VoluntarUBB) 64 materials were produced to promote the volunteer program: informative posts, infographics, calls for opportunities coming from the UBB community, testimonials. In addition, in early 2022 we officially launched the Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/voluntariat_ubb/) in order to promote an active citizenship within UBB. So far, the Instagram account is tracked by 295 people and 35 posts have been made.

Through social networks and the website, we have proposed the continuation of the awareness campaign “Volunteer at UBB” in the following academic year, by posting 3 videos promoting the volunteer program. The videos made in 2022 summarize the advantages in volunteering or information for coordinating volunteers, the necessary steps for concluding a contract and other essential information, delivered through a visual easy to follow and enjoy. 

For the volunteers who expressed their interest to be actively involved in the extracurricular activities in UBB, but at that time there were no volunteer events or programs in accordance with their interests, or they did not find an available coordinator, a database was used. In this framework, students/ young people willing to be enrolled in the volunteer program have sent to the Volunteering Office essential information about themselves, their interests and hobbies, but also about the field in which they want to develop into volunteer programs, to be contacted at the first opportunity that appeared that meets the criteria mentioned above.

Also this year, the “Volunteer at UBB” procedure was updated, concluding that it corresponds to the current academic situation and responds to the needs of the coordinators and volunteers. The process of verifying the procedure led to the elaboration of a strategy for faculties and collaborators, so that volunteering at UBB would become a more attractive and encouraging alternative for spending leisure time during college. Within this strategy we have started to undertake actions to inform collaborators – partners, and at the beginning of the academic year 2022-2023 we will intensify the promotion process of the volunteer program at UBB and within the Faculty Councils to be implemented at the level of the departments of the faculties, the research centers and the cultural centers, with the help and support of the representatives of the students from each faculty.

The goals of these approaches are partnerships concluded with institutions/organizations to carry out voluntary actions in partnership with UBB, an objective proposed for the academic year 2022-2023. Also, the efficient collaboration between the Volunteering Office for and the departments of faculties, research centers and cultural centers, as well as with external partners based on partnerships will facilitate the creation of a database that centralizes all structures that organize actions/events involving volunteers.

Another important goal achieved is the digitization of the documents of the Volunteering Office. By the time of this report, over 2100 volunteer contracts with volunteer certificates and voluntary records have been digitized. As a result, the timeliness of submitting various documents to applicants has increased and if the epidemiological situation so requires, work from home will be made easier.

Last but not least, throughout the academic year, training of volunteers and support for coordinators, physically and online, took place. The Volunteering Office responded positively to various initiatives from the coordinators and tried to provide support on both sides for the success of an event or in the selection of volunteers.