HR-513 Volunteers and Other Unpaid Appointments

Summary

Unpaid appointments are provided to individuals for a variety of reasons, including access to university facilities or resources or to perform services as a recognized volunteer. This policy addresses the types of unpaid appointments, requirements, and expectations of individuals and sponsoring departments to protect the university.

This policy does not cover or govern individuals who agree to serve as human subjects in university research protocols, university students who are participating in a university event, or employees performing services outside their regular duties at the university's request (e.g., assisting with student move-in days).

Judgement and care must be exercised in the use of volunteers and other unpaid appointments. Unpaid appointments may not be authorized solely as a benefit for past service or to maintain future relationships.

If any part of this policy does not reflect the Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR), the provisions of the CRR will govern.

HR Policy Provisions

Types of Unpaid Appointments
1. Guest Affiliate appointment - Individuals paid by another organization or non-University payroll or unpaid who need access to university resources for appropriate, approved purposes. Guest Affiliates include, for example, unpaid visiting scholars, research collaborators, temporary agency hires, university and non-university interns, and job shadow arrangements. This does not include individuals who fall in the category of Vendor appointment described in this policy.
2. Conditional appointment - University employees whose unpaid appointment is conditional upon the individual’s paid appointment to gain access that would otherwise not be available through the paid appointment, such as School of Medicine and School of Nursing faculty who receive a concurrent unpaid appointment for MU Health Care access.
3. Education Partner - Individuals who possess a professional certification or licensure and who have agreed to teach, advise, mentor, supervise, or otherwise provide educational opportunities to university students within a non-university organization. Examples include community K-12 teachers, physicians, and other professionals providing student teaching, clinicals, practicums, or other required experiences outside the university.
4. Emeritus appointment - Individuals granted Emeritus status, pursuant to CRR 320.090, may be granted an unpaid appointment.
5. Vendor appointment - Individuals who use the University’s facilities and resources to perform their work for a contracted organization, such as contractors, outsourced services, independent contractors, and vendors. These appointments are typically paid through university accounts other than payroll and have a signed contract or agreement with the University.
6. Visiting Student - Students who partake in University of Missouri educational experiences under a formal Education Agreement between the University of Missouri (host institution) and their home institution (affiliate). The student is engaged in learning experiences but is not enrolled as a University of Missouri student.
7. Volunteer appointment - Individuals who perform services for the university for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for services rendered. Volunteers include, for example, concert series ushers, athletic event volunteers, and volunteers in various healthcare settings.
Eligibility requirements
1. Eligible - To qualify for an unpaid appointment, individuals must
  1. Be at least 18 years of age, or if less than 18, comply with university policy HR-116.
  2. If previously separated from the University, be eligible to return pursuant to university policy HR-108.
  3. Successfully pass required background checks and other screenings pursuant to university policy HR-504.
  4. Complete required training, including annual compliance training as directed by UM System HR.
2. Not eligible
  1. Current University employees may not perform activities as Volunteers that are the same as or similar to the type of services for which they are employed. Similar services are defined as activities requiring the same skills/knowledge or that directly or indirectly support the work for which an individual is compensated.
  2. Foreign nationals who do not possess legal authorization permitting them to work in the United States (e.g., pending University of Missouri H-1B visa status) may not hold an unpaid appointment.
  3. Currently or previously part of a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program, as defined by Congress in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
Approvals - Before services begin, all appointees must be approved by the sponsoring supervisor, division leader, or delegate, and the appropriate University, MU Health Care, or UM System Human Resources office. Additional approvals may be required when services involve minors, research activities, athletics, driving, foreign nationals, or other circumstances identified in applicable policies.
Expectations
1. Appointees
  1. Serve under the University’s general guidance and follow all lawful directions of supervisors and officials in charge of facilities and resources used by the appointee.
  2. Perform services in accordance with the University’s non-discrimination policy and Code of Conduct, abide by all other applicable policies and procedures, and follow all applicable safety standards and practices of the University.
  3. Comply with all applicable United States federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
  4. Will not conduct any for-profit work or consulting while using University resources or facilities, except those contemplated in a contract or agreement associated with a vendor appointment or as approved in writing by division leader or delegate. v. Complete compliance and regulatory training as directed, such as the University’s code of conduct, electronic data protection, and discrimination and harassment prevention.
2. Sponsoring supervisors
  1. May not be a relative, as defined in policy HR-115, of the individual they are supervising.
  2. Provide oversight of the appointee’s activities related to the University, regardless of where the activities occur.
  3. Ensure appointees have the appropriate experience, qualifications, and training for the role or task they are expected to perform.
  4. Consult with the ADA Coordinator concerning any request to provide reasonable accommodation for a disability.
  5. May recommend future reappointment or eligibility for hire, in alignment with policy HR-108, upon separation of the unpaid appointment.
Duration – The duration of a conditional appointments is dependent upon the length of the paid appointment it relies on. All other types of unpaid appointments are initially for up to one (1) year, with the ability to request a longer-term appointment not to exceed three (3) years. See chart below for details. Approval, as described in subsection III of this policy, is required to extend appointments beyond the end date after the initial appointment.
Volunteer Unpaid Appointment Policy Provisions
1. Payment for services is not permitted under any circumstances. However, other fees or expense reimbursements may be provided, including out-of-pocket expenses incurred incidental to providing volunteer services (e.g., meals, transportation, and uniform expenses) and training-related expenses. Any reimbursement must follow standard university reimbursement guidelines. Reimbursement must not be used as a substitute for compensation and cannot be linked to productivity.
2. Volunteers are prohibited from performing high-risk services such as operating heavy equipment, working with or having access to any export-controlled materials, working with hazardous materials, or other activities considered by Human Resources to be high-risk.
3. Volunteer appointments may be covered by Worker’s Compensation benefits pursuant to university policy HR-409 under certain circumstances to volunteers who regularly provide service to the University. Coverage does not apply when Volunteers deviate from their volunteer duties.
4. The University has the discretion to select Volunteers and may discontinue Volunteer appointments at any time without prior notice or cause. University Volunteers may end their volunteer service anytime and without advance notice.

Procedures

Requests for unpaid appointments are submitted for review and approval following campus procedures.
Individuals approved for an unpaid appointment are required to provide necessary information to confirm identity, as well as other information necessary to establish training, access to systems, etc.
Appointments will automatically expire at the appointment end date. Approval is required to extend appointments.
Processing unpaid appointments incurs significant costs and risks to the University. Therefore, each campus or MU Health Care business unit may implement a fee to cover these expenses.

See below for processing requirements for each appointment type:

Requirements	Guest affiliate	Conditional	Education Partner	Emeritus	Vendor	Visiting student	Volunteer
Initial appointment maximum	1 year	Aligns with paid appointment	3 years	3 years	1 year	1 year	1 year
Criminal background check	University CBC	Aligns with paid appointment	Aligns with employer agreement	Aligns with employer agreement	Aligns with employer agreement	Aligns with employer agreement	University CBC
Compliance Training	Required	Aligns with paid appointment	Aligns with employer agreement	Required	Aligns with employer agreement	Required	Required
Email	University email	Aligns with paid appointment	Business or personal email	University email	Business or personal email	University email	Personal email

Implementation Timing – All new appointments processed on or after August 2025 must comply with this policy. Existing appointments may begin applying this policy on any date between August 2025 and December 2025. Otherwise, it will automatically terminate shortly after December 31, 2025.

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