Framework Principles for Volunteering at the Autonomous University of Lisbon

Considering:

The social, cultural and human value of volunteering;

The mission that the Autonomous University of Lisbon (UAL) has been developing for more than two decades;

The existence of a national legal framework for the bases of volunteering (Law No. 71/98, of November 3, regulated by Decree-Law No. 389/99, of September 30);

The provisions of the RJIES, Legal Regime of Higher Education Institutions (Law 62/2007 of September 10) as “providing services to the community and supporting development” (art. 8), as well as “Supporting the participation of students in life active under conditions appropriate to the simultaneous development of academic activity” (article 24).

The UAL Statutes, whose article 5, Mission and Attributions, echo article 8 of the RJIES (Notice 14910/2016 published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, nº 228, on 28 November).

The principles of the Bologna Process that promote the “transition from an education system based on the transmission of knowledge to a system based on the development of student skills, in which the components of experimental or project work, among others, and the acquisition of transversal skills must play a decisive role” (Decree-law 74/2006, of March 24th, amended by DL 107/08 of June 25th),

The General Principles of volunteering at the Autonomous University of Lisbon are approved, which are articulated below.

 

Article 1

Legal regime

In this context, what is established in Law No. 71/98 of November 3rd and Decree-Law 389/99 of September 30th, which regulates it, follows.

 

Article 2

Scope of application

  1. This regulation frames the volunteering programs promoted and supported by the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (UAL), as an exercise of active citizenship, actions of social and community interest, carried out in a free, disinterested, supportive, participatory, responsible and free manner.
  2. Volunteer programs can be carried out at UAL or with partner entities, as long as collaboration agreements are established for this purpose.

 

Article 3

Volunteer people exchange

  1. A pool of volunteer people is created at UAL that will register those who, through a free, voluntary, disinterested and responsible decision, in accordance with their own abilities and in their free time, propose and make themselves available to participate regularly in actions or in transversal volunteer programs promoted or supported by the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa and developed in compliance with the principles defined in this document.
  2. Volunteers can be students, former students, teaching and non-teaching staff, retired or retired.
  3. The Volunteer Exchange will be managed by a Volunteer Committee, made up of a maximum of 5 members, appointed by the rector, and coordinated by one of its members.
  4. Applications for the Volunteer Scholarship are open permanently and are completed by filling out an electronic form available at the Virtual Secretariat.
  5. For each volunteer activity, the Commission will select the people with the most appropriate profile for the purpose in question.

 

Article 4

Volunteer Program

  1. For each action identified and approved, a Volunteering Program is created that will define the objectives, nature, content, purpose and duration of the work to be carried out by volunteers, as well as the relationships with partner entities, if applicable.
  2. The following are not considered volunteer activities:
  3. Curricular internships;
  4. Mandatory activities or assessment of curricular units;
  5. Activities in the Student Association.

 

Article 5

Volunteer work hours

1. The volunteer program schedules will be out of phase with the teaching activities.

 

Article 6

Mandatory Insurance

1 – The protection of the volunteer in the event of an accident or illness suffered or contracted for a reason directly and specifically attributable to the exercise of voluntary work is guaranteed by the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, or by the promoting entity, through group insurance to be carried out with legally authorized entities. authorized to carry it out.

2 – Mandatory insurance comprises compensation or a daily allowance to be awarded, respectively, in cases of death and permanent disability or temporary incapacity.

 

Article 7

Accreditation and certification of volunteer work

  1. Accreditation of volunteer work is carried out through the signing of the volunteer contract by both parties.
  2. UAL issues a volunteering certificate, indicating the program or action carried out, location and start and completion dates, as long as 90% of the action is fulfilled and as long as the evaluation is positive.
  3. The certification will be included in the additional information in the supplement to the student's diploma.

 

Article 8

Volunteer rights

The rights of a volunteer at UAL are:

  1. a) Have access to training programs, with a view to improving their voluntary work, when validated by the Volunteer Committee;
  2. b) Be heard in the preparation of Commission decisions that affect the development of voluntary work;
  3. c) Carry out voluntary work under health, hygiene and safety conditions;
  4. d) Receive compensation, subsidies or pensions, as well as other legally defined benefits, in the event of an accident or illness contracted while carrying out voluntary work;
  5. e) Be reimbursed for the amounts spent on carrying out a volunteering program, provided they are previously authorized and duly justified, within the limits established by UAL.

 

Article 9

Duties of the volunteer

The volunteer’s duties are:

  1. a) Observe the ethical and deontological principles governing the activity carried out, namely respect for the private life of all those who benefit from it, as well as the privacy of any and all information obtained through UAL;
  2. b) Observe the guiding principles and comply with the volunteering program;
  3. c) Act diligently, impartially and in solidarity;
  4. d) Participate in training programs aimed at the correct development of the volunteering program;
  5. e) Ensure the good use of material resources and goods, equipment and utensils made available to them;
  6. f) Collaborate with the Volunteer Committee, respecting UAL's options and following the Committee's technical guidelines;
  7. g) Not assume the role of representative of the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa without its prior knowledge and authorization;
  8. h) Guarantee the regularity of voluntary work in accordance with the program agreed with the Commission;
  9. i) Use properly and never abusively the identification as a volunteer person in the exercise of their activity;
  10. j) Keep the Volunteer Committee informed about the evolution of the volunteer program.

 

Article 10

Assessment

Any UAL volunteer program is subject to final evaluation by the Volunteer Committee, with the participation of the volunteer and the entity where they carried out their activity.

At the end of the volunteer activity, the student must prepare a Summary Report.

 

Article 11

Suspension and cessation of volunteer work

  1. A volunteer who intends to interrupt or cease volunteer work must inform the Commission as soon as possible.
  2. The Commission may waive the collaboration of the volunteer on a temporary or permanent basis, whenever the change in objectives or institutional practices justifies it.
  3. The Commission may order the suspension or termination of the volunteer's collaboration in all or some areas of activity in the event of non-compliance with the program or violation of principles or standards of volunteering by the volunteer.

 

Article 12

Missing cases

Omitted cases will be resolved using applicable legislation or by decision of the statutorily competent bodies of UAL.

 

Article 13

Implementation

This document comes into force as soon as it is approved by the Rector and published in the UAL Information System.