Osher Give Back Program

The Osher Give Back Program offers Osher Institute members the opportunity to contribute their unique skillsets, talents, expertise and professional experience among the students, faculty and staff of the School of Professional & Continuing Studies. The Give Back Program helps Osher volunteers find volunteer opportunities that match members’ strengths and abilities. The program is an extension of the Osher class “Give to Live — Finding the Right Volunteering Opportunities.”

How Does It Work?

  1. Interested Osher members provide the Give Back Committee information on their professional background, education, areas of expertise and types of commitments they can make.
  2. SPCS faculty and staff request Osher Give Back volunteers using an online request form, providing as much detail as possible about the opportunity.
  3. The Give Back committee matches Osher volunteers to the request criteria and refers volunteers to the request originator.
  4. Faculty or staff member vets the candidate(s), then offers the opportunity as appropriate.

What Kind of Opportunities are Available?

There are three categories of opportunities that Osher Give Back volunteers can support.

1. Program & Instructional Support

Give Back Volunteers may engage in a variety of program development, classroom and curricular activities to support faculty (full time and adjunct), program managers and professional education and lifelong learning instructors. Examples of program and instructional support may include:

  • Guest lecturers
  • Classroom panelists
  • Project or presentation reviewers/evaluators
  • Facilitator, coordinator or leader of experiential learning activities (includes field trips and site visits)
  • Special project facilitators
  • Adjunct faculty
  • Professional education and professional development instructors or program coordinators (for non-Osher classes and programs)

2. Career & Professional Support

Give Back volunteers can provide career and professional support for SPCS students through a variety of direct outreach and engagement activities. Such activities might include:

  • Participation in professional roundtable events
  • Panelist in a career focused event (in partnership with Career Services)
  • Working with faculty on mock interview exercises in class
  • Participation in student and alumni networking events

3. Administrative Support

Give Back volunteers offer a number of professional talents that our administrative support teams might utilize. Examples of short-term and long-term administrative support activities might include:

  • Writing feature stories for the SPCS website
  • Shooting photos of various SPCS and Osher classes or events
  • Making connections with professional contacts for the School in the community
  • Support a special project for an academic or administrative unit
  • Provide curriculum feedback for current market relevance
  • Serve on advisory groups, steering committees or working groups

How Do I Request an Osher Give Back Volunteer?

SPCS faculty and staff may request a Give Back volunteer by completing the online Volunteer Request Form.

The form should be completed at least 3 weeks prior to the start date of the opportunity, providing Give Back Committee members time to determine whether a match is available and to coordinate the volunteer if a match is found.