12.5.5 Religious Volunteer Policy

Policy Statement

The College of Charleston has an educational mission to provide quality programs, services and facilities to promote the development of all students while enriching and supporting the growth of the College of Charleston community. These programs and services include the support and encouragement of spiritual and religious development among its students, faculty, and staff. The College acknowledges no institutional preference, but rather seeks to provide as much opportunity as possible for students to develop an understanding of their own personal commitments and to articulate and express their commitments to spiritual and religious beliefs and practices.

In order to further this purpose, the College has established a policy of mutual benefit to both the College and the greater religious and spiritual community to provide the opportunity for certain religious volunteers from the community to have access to College facilities and provide religious support and appropriate counsel to students.

Religious volunteers can gain access to the College in this capacity only upon a showing that they retain a high level of professional competency for their appointed religious work and maintain a concern and understanding of the importance of the greater religious community at the College and the importance of harmonious relationships between contrasting and alternative religious and spiritual beliefs and practices.

Religious volunteers are not employed by the College, are not paid by the College in any manner, and should have no expectation of receiving any benefits whatsoever from the College. Religious volunteers are either volunteers or people employed or otherwise engaged by a national, regional, or local spiritual or religious group as set forth herein, which employment or engagement is strictly between the volunteer and the group; in no event shall the College have any responsibility whatsoever for the compensation of any religious volunteer. Religious volunteers speak and act only for themselves and not for the College. The College does not endorse the views, actions, omissions, speech, or student support provided by any particular religious volunteer and is not responsible for the same.

Policy Manager and Responsible Department or Office

Policy Manager: Executive Vice President of Student Affairs

Policy

I. Application

Who Can Apply?

  • a. Religious volunteers who are affiliated with a national, regional, or local religious or spiritual group which meets the required criteria defined below sponsoring the religious volunteer on campus; and
  • b. Religious volunteers who are not affiliated with a national, regional, or local group who meet certain criteria outlined below

Criteria

  • a. All applicants will be subject to a criminal background check. Any applicant who has been convicted of a crime shall be subject to additional scrutiny and may be disqualified at the sole discretion of the Division of Student Affairs, based on the circumstances of the crimes committed.
  • b. All applications must certify and provide proof that the applicant has completed the following trainings.
    1. "Darkness to Light": within the previous calendar year (or similar training with approval by the Division of Student Affairs;
    2. Campus Security Authority for Clery compliance;
    3. Diversity and Inclusion training;
    4. Campus email and technology training as provided;
  • c. Maintain liability insurance that the College deems sufficient to cover any potential liability incurred in or arising out of the volunteer's or organization's relationship with the College with a limit of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate. The College must be listed as an additional named insured. The College may demand, and the volunteer/organization shall provide such proof of compliance with this requirement as the College deems necessary or appropriate, including but not limited to submission of the policy itself to the College for review. 
  • d. Agree to willingly work in cooperation with the university and other religious volunteers of contrasting religious and spiritual beliefs and practices;
  • e. Agree that the applicant will abide by all policies, procedures, and regulations of the College;
  • f. Agree to submit an annual report to the Office of Student Life, who will submit to the Division of Student Affairs using the format provided by that office.
  • g. For applicants affiliated with a national, regional, or local religious or spiritual group, the applicant and a representative from the group must:1
    • i. Certify that the volunteer has appropriate training or ordination as required by the group;
    • ii. Certify that the volunteers appointed are the only volunteers appointed by the group sponsoring the volunteers; and
    • iii. Agree to indemnify the College for all losses arising out of or in any way related to the volunteer's organization's relationship with the College.
  • h. For individuals seeking to gain religious volunteer status at the College without a sponsoring group, the applicant must provide a thorough explanation of the spiritual and religious guidance the applicant seeks to provide and what denomination or religious group the applicant is affiliated with, if any. Included in this explanation shall be an attestation and proof that the applicant has undergone training sufficient to qualify him or her to provide religious guidance to students. Further, the application must agree to indemnify the College for all losses arising out of or in any way related to the volunteer's relationship with the College.

Upon receipt of a formal application for a registered status as a religious volunteer, the application will be forward to the Executive Vice President for Student Affairs ("EVP") using the format provided by the Office of Student Affairs.

Upon receipt of the application, the EVP shall review and determine if the applicant meets the criteria set forth above. The EVP may require applicants report for an in-person interview with the EVP and/or other Student Affairs staff if questions arise as to the sufficiency of the application. 

Any applicant who meets the criteria defined above and properly completes all paperwork in the format provided by the Office of Student Affairs regarding such criteria will qualify for registered status as a religious volunteer. Each applicant will be notified in writing as to whether the applicant has been accepted or not accepted as a registered religious volunteer. In the event an applicant is not accepted as a registered religious volunteer, the written notification shall provide the reasons for such rejection and the applicant may appeal the decision in writing to the President, whose decision will be final.

Upon receipt of the letter granting an applicant registered status and return of the required signed agreement to the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Student Affairs shall:

  • a. Notify the Cougar Card Services office to authorize campus ID cards for the registered religious volunteers;
  • b. Send the name of the registered religious volunteers to:
    • i. The office of communications for inclusion in the campus telephone directory;
  • c. Ensure that all registered volunteers receive official college bulletins and announcements.

1 Note that individuals falling into this category whose religious or spiritual group does not meet the criteria defined for that group may qualify under the criteria for an individual without a sponsor.

Procedures Related to the Policy

Privileges and Responsibilities of Registered Status

The College will grant the following privileges to registered religious volunteer. Please note that these privileges are granted specifically to the individual approved as a religious volunteer and are not extended to other persons associated with the individual or the individual's organization.

  • Inclusion on the distribution list for official college bulletins and announcements circulated among faculty and staff;
  • The ability to reserve a "table" at campus events for which tables are reserved for student groups and other campus organizations; and
  • The ability to reserve meeting space for student groups and other campus organizations as needed and available;

Registered religious volunteer will accept responsibility for the following:

Ministry to the religious life of the college community and the growth and development of the individual student seeking such guidance. This responsibility obligates registered religious volunteer to:

  • Provide opportunity for religious and spiritual instruction and worship in the tradition of the sponsoring body or the declared religious or spiritual denomination or group in a manner which contributes to the students' moral, spiritual, and general development;
  • Maintain respect for the diversity of religious commitments found in the campus community;
  • Continue to work in harmony with other registered religious volunteer;
  • Submit an annual report to the EVP by May 1 of each year;
  • Submit annual paperwork each year to re-apply for registered status;
  • Abide by all relevant College policies, rules and regulations; and
  • Represent high standards of personal, moral and ethical conduct on campus.

Related Policies, Documents or Forms

12.5.5 Religious Volunteer Policy PDF

Revision Log

Issue Date: 12/19/19

Last Review Date: 

Next Review Date: 10/20/24

Web Publication Date: 2/6/2026