Bill Eberle, lab coordinator in the chemistry and biochemistry department, has volunteered as a commencement marshal for over 20 years. (Photo courtesy of Bill Eberle)

Do you wonder how your colleagues manage to work all day and still find time to volunteer? CU"s Administrative Leave Policy allows appointing authorities the discretion to grant classified staff up to 16 hours per year of leave for volunteer activities as long as the business needs of the department are not compromised. (Volunteer leave does not accrue and cannot be carried over from one year to the next.)

Bill Eberle, lab coordinator in the chemistry and biochemistry department, has volunteered as a commencement marshal for over 20 years. In his job he has a close association with students who have been in his teaching labs, and he knows how excited they are to be graduating. He volunteers at commencement to see them graduate. He said, "It reminds me of why we"re doing our jobs. This is what it"s all about."

Erin Frazier, outreach coordinator for Community Relations, volunteers for the Birds of Prey Foundation, a raptor rehabilitation program. "The experience of being near the rehabilitating birds is awesome, overwhelming," she said. She has taken administrative leave to host outreach programs at a senior living facility and at a local elementary school. "Those programs happen right in the middle of my work day, and it"s wonderful to be able to take off a few hours to provide support for a program that I love."

"I used administrative leave to read at Uni Hill Elementary during Read Across America day," said Cathy Snider of Web Communications. "I chose that school because my kids had gone there. It was great to see all the old places and faces and be part of the hustle and bustle." Snider feels that providing this opportunity to its employees proves that the university supports the community: "They put their money where their mouth is."

To request volunteer leave, submit a request in writing to your supervisor at least two weeks in advance. Describe the activity and provide the date, time and number of hours being requested. The service activity must be mutually agreed upon by supervisor and employee, so be prepared to provide documentation about the organization or activity.

Human Resources is currently updating its guidelines for the use of administrative leave. When finished, the policy will be available on the their web site Guidelines for the Use of Administrative Leave and will be announced in campus Buff Bulletins.