SIGCSE 2005 Student Volunteer Information

Student volunteers are an important part of the SIGCSE Symposium and have been for many years. Each volunteer works for 5 hours, helping with various conference management activities. You'll interact with the conference organizers and presenters and meet other students from all over the world. More information about the experience, the benefits, and how to register, are provided below.

What changes to the student volunteer program have been made for SIGCSE 2005?

The registration fee will be waived for student volunteers. Each student volunteer is asked to register as a volunteer prior to the conference. (Instructions for registering as a student volunteer are given below.) Upon arrival at the conference site, the student must check in at the Student Volunteer Office to receive a work schedule (with a list of times, locations, and duties). The work schedule must be presented at the registration desk to obtain a registration packet.  The student's obligation is to work the scheduled hours in return for the registration fee, which has been waived.

Who is eligible to be a student volunteer?

Any full time student may become a student volunteer. Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome. You specify your school affiliation when you register as a student volunteer, and you should bring a copy of your current course schedule to the conference to verify your full time status. Students attending the conference for the Research Poster competition or the Doctoral Consortium are welcome to become student volunteers.

What do I get by being a student volunteer?

In exchange for 3 - 5 hours of conference service, each student volunteer receives:
  • Complimentary conference registration
  • A student volunteer shirt, which you will wear while "on duty" at the conference and is yours to keep
  • Entrance to the Friday evening Student Volunteer reception.
  • A chance to meet and work with students from other schools.
  • The opportunity to contribute to an effort to improve Computer Science education .. and our sincere gratitude for your efforts.
Note that in addition to these benefits, since you are a registered student attendee, you have all the rights of the non-volunteer student attendees:
  • Access to all sessions, including papers, panels, seminars, and birds-of-a-feather
  • Access to all exhibits where book publishers and software vendors have displays and activities
  • All conference "coffee" breaks (food and drink)
  • The main conference reception on Thursday evening

What kinds of work will I do as a volunteer?

It varies. You might work at the registration booth to help organize the packets that we give out to attendees. You might be at the door of the exhibits to verify that the people entering have a conference badge. You might count the participants at various sessions. You might hang out at certain sessions to assist the speakers with handouts or equipment.

Do I have a say in what work I do as a volunteer?

Not much, but we'll do what we can. There are often fewer volunteers than we have jobs, so we have to prioritize.

When during the conference will I do my volunteer work?

This issue is driven by conference needs. Some time periods are busier than others. We'll take your preferences into account whenever possible. When you register as a student volunteer, you'll specify when you plan to arrive and leave the conference. Within those constraints, we'll make some initial plans. We realize that things may come up and will try to make dynamic changes as needed. In turn we ask that you be as flexible as possible. Your duties may be broken into separate time periods and even across separate days, but we'll try not to make it too wide spread.

Do I have to be there for the whole conference to be a volunteer?

No. We realize that travel plans and other commitments exist. We hope that students local to the St. Louis area will be flexible. In particular, there is always a need for volunteers on Wednesday, which is before most of the conference activities begin and before many of the traveling volunteers have arrived. We encourage local volunteers to be available on Wednesday.

How do I become a volunteer?

To become a student volunteer, you must complete the "student volunteer registration" form. If you have trouble accessing or using this form, please contact the Student Volunteer Coordinators, Dr. Pam Lawhead (lawhead@cs.olemiss.edu) and Dr. Constance Bland ( cgbland@mvsu.edu)

Can I get funding for travel or hotel expenses?

The conference itself does not provide funding for student volunteers, but you may be able to get some support through your department or through another source at your university. You should print your registration acknowledgement to show to potential funding sources.

Questions? Please contact:

Dr. Pam Lawhead and Dr. Constance Bland, Student Volunteer Coordinators
lawhead@cs.olemiss.edu
cgbland@mvsu.edu