Dr. NAACLS – Volunteering
Dear Dr. NAACLS,
I have been a Program Director of a NAACLS Accredited Program for a few years now, but it wasn’t until this past year that my program went through the NAACLS re-accreditation process. During my site visit, one of our site visitors mentioned that my faculty and I could get more involved with NAACLS by becoming a NAACLS Volunteer. We are definitely interested in doing so…but we are not sure where to start or what is involved.
Sincerely,
Potential NAACLS Volunteer Extraordinaire
Dear Potential,
I am very glad that one of your site visitors urged you to get more involved with NAACLS as a volunteer! Networking is just one great aspect of becoming a NAACLS Volunteer – ask any site visitor just how many friends and colleagues they have met in their time volunteering for NAACLS!
But back to part one of your original question – where do you start? Well, before we can match you up with any volunteer opportunities, we need to know your availability as a volunteer. When visiting the NAACLS website at www.NAACLS.org, click on the “Volunteers” tab at the top of the home page. After doing so, the “NAACLS Volunteer Center” page will open, containing a new menu of options and resources. The first selection available (“Sign Up”) will allow you to download a Volunteer Information Form. You will need to fill out the form and return it to NAACLS via email, fax, or snail mail. If you want, you can simply email it to the NAACLS Accreditation Specialist that coordinates your program’s accreditation activities. When an opportunity arises in which NAACLS may need your help, we will contact you.
For part two of your original question – what is involved – I would recommend two resources on the “NAACLS Volunteer Center” page that you should look at next. The first resource to look at is the NAACLS Volunteer Manual – This will describe in detail the responsibilities of being a NAACLS Paper Reviewer and a NAACLS Site Visitor. The second resource to look at is the Annual Volunteer Report – This is a yearly report that analyzes the work of our volunteers, where they have performed strongest and where volunteers need to work more carefully in the future. The Annual Volunteer Report will also contain yearly education pieces dedicated to help future volunteers, as well as a section of the report devoted to the public recognition of our most dedicated volunteers.
Last but not least, if you are interested in volunteering but still have questions, I highly recommend contacting the NAACLS Staff, as they can answer any questions you have, and will help to put your mind at ease. NAACLS wants you to be very comfortable when volunteering, and will even be sure to team you up with an experienced volunteer to help guide you if need be!
Good luck to you and your faculty in your quest to become dedicated NAACLS volunteers, and we look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Dr. NAACLS