Verification of Cultural Activities for ACSS
Many organizations rely on international students to assist with events and activities, some of which qualify as a “Cultural Activity” for the Academic & Cultural Sharing Scholarship (ACSS). Only those listed on the Cultural Activities Form are eligible. Individuals who supervise these events will be asked to verify students’ participation. To promote a simplified and fair process, the following suggestions and guidelines are offered:
Responsibilities of Cultural Activity Supervisor:
- Set expectations and requirements for volunteering based on your organization’s need. You may determine what level of participation is required in order to count as a “Cultural Activity.”
- If a student does not meet the organization’s expectations, his/her participation should not be verified. By setting and maintaining high standards, your organization will assist in creating a fair process and will be better equipped to manage events that rely heavily on volunteers. By verifying participation for students who do not meet expectations you are doing a disservice to your organization and not getting the help that you need and deserve to successfully implement events.
- Organizations should keep a list of all volunteers and confirm whether individuals have met the requirements. You will likely be contacted by CIS to confirm students’ participation. Suggestions:
- Communicate clearly to volunteers. Make sure students know what is expected in order to qualify as an ACSS activity.
- Have one contact person for each task/activity. Refer all volunteers to this person.
- Create a sign-in sheet to track volunteers for each task/activity. This may be submitted to CIS after the event. (See sample)
Responsibilities of the International Student:
- Meet requirements set by the organization.
- Check in with the event supervisor and obtain contact information.
- Submit Cultural Activities Form to CIS with contact information of event supervisor.
Any student that is found to knowingly falsify information on his/her Cultural Activities Form may be reported to the Code of Conduct Committee and lose the ACSS with no possibility for appeal. The same is true for a student who falsely verifies another individual’s participation in an ACSS cultural activity. If you have additional questions about ACSS verification, contact International Student & Scholar Services.
