The Volunteer Potential of First-time Entering Students: Interest Areas and Incentives

First time entering students at a large, eastern university were given a survey assessing their interest In various campus volunteer opportunities. The relationship between incentives and volunteer interest was also studied. The findings suggested that, generally, students did not differentiate between serving as a volunteer, earning course credit as a volunteer, and earning a monetary award as a volunteer. Overall, students were most interested in volunteering for the homecoming committee and the campus recruitment organization, and least interested in volunteering for the counseling center and the health center. Specific volunteer interests are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for student affairs practitioners