University Launches Service Tracking Site

The temporary webpage launched by GW to track service hours.

With the First Lady hanging in the balance, the university launched a website this week to track service hours required to ensure Michelle Obama delivers this year’s commencement address.

When the university unveiled the site on Monday, students gained greater access to information about how to get involved with organizations and guidelines about which service programs will count towards the First Lady’s challenge of completing 100,000 hours during the academic year. The Office of Community Service’s (OSC) Web site has been similarly revamped; the two sites currently feature a similar format and content.

Christine French ’10, a volunteer at Rape Abuse Incest National Network, thinks the online hub is more navigable than the previous OCS website.

“One major change I like is the large calendar…with links to Facebook events and further descriptions,” said French, who is also the president of both the Human Service Student Organization and Teach for America at GW. “I think that there could always be more publicity of the Office of Community Service and their excellent resources, but the website redesign makes it possible for students to find answers to their questions online.”

Students will have access to a greater range of volunteer opportunities with a Web site update scheduled for early November, according to a press release from the university. GW is working with VolunteerMatch, a national cyber network that provides links to service organizations, to develop a site that will allow students access to a greater range of information about volunteer groups. Students will also be able to report completed hours online. Currently the service Web site provides a downloadable form to manually report hours.

Dr. Robert Chernak, senior vice president for Student and Academic Support Services, said in the press release that the collaboration with the volunteer network will make a two-fold contribution towards the successful completion of the necessary number of hours.

“Our anticipated partnership with VolunteerMatch will not only help the GW community find volunteering opportunities they can be passionate about, it will help us ensure that service hours are tracked accurately for this challenge,” he said.

The Office of Community Service is located at 2129 G St.

Keeping track of service hours is important to Joyce Hoyee Ma ’10.

“As a service learner, I always think that it is essential to keep a log for volunteer service,” said Hoyee Ma, a Human Services major. “That way, I will be able to reflect on…what kind of service I did during my years in college and be able to see my personal growth and professional development through service.”

Members of the GW community, including students, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustee members, can log hours contributing to the First Lady’s challenge until the end of the day on May 1, 2010. After that deadline, University officials will decide whether or not to maintain the Web site indefinitely.

“Once the challenge has been completed, we will evaluate the best way to sustain the tremendous interest in, and commitment to service as seen by our community,” said Lorraine Voles, vice president of External Relations. “This includes if and how the serve.gwu.edu site will operate in the future.”