Upset that the Student Financial Aid office at UC is no longer allowing recycling to count for Cincinnatus service hours? Then, please sign this petition!
For more information, please see the attached letter we plan to deliver to the Student Financial Aid office.
As the momentum to institute recycling on the University of Cincinnati's campus grows, volunteer opportunities abound allowing students to serve their campus and community. Examples include "Bearcat Recycling" (at football tailgating events), "Operation Move-In Recycle," the "Housing Conservation Challenge," individual recycling programs in academic buildings, etc.
In the past, Cincinnatus has been consistent in offering Cincinnatus hours to student volunteers for such events. Offering these hours is important, as the volunteering requirements make it easier for organizers to obtain volunteers. It also allows students interested in seeing recycling and, in general, the conservation of resources implemented in a grander scale within their community to work action into their busy schedule, and count it towards their scholarship requirements.
Unfortunately, beginning this year, your office has decided to no longer count these hours. The most consistent reason is that you do not wish volunteers to help with something UC employees are paid to do. The problem with this logic, though, is that due to changes in the housekeeping contract this academic year there are ZERO employees being paid to empty recycling containers. All efforts are currently student-led.
Below, we have copied the nationally-recognized definition of community service, as listed on your website:
"Those services designed to improve the quality of life for community residents (general public), particularly low income individuals, or solving problems related to their needs."
--National Community Service Act of 1990
If such recycling initiatives do not count as community service, then we do not know what does...
We feel that the Cincinnatus office's history of inconsistency on what will or will not count as hours, both on this and on many other issues, is severely disadvantageous to students. Many students had already been promised hours for volunteering for recycling programs, before your office decided to no longer count them.
Thus, for all reasons listed above, we ask that you reconsider your decision not to count these hours.
