Consider these two recent activities:

More than 2,600 staff and faculty members participated in Cornell's semiannual Employee Celebration Day on Feb. 9 -- watching students compete in indoor track, wrestling, gymnastics and ice hockey in the afternoon, enjoying chicken parmesan and pasta from Cornell Catering for dinner and cheering on the Big Red at a sell-out basketball game in the evening (Big Red beat Penn, 87-74, continuing its undefeated conference season). More than 150 staff members and students volunteered to make the celebration day happen their time.

Cornell's United Way campaign has received more than $770,000 in pledges, 111 percent of its goal, from faculty, staff and students as of Jan. 22. This dollar amount represents the involvement of more than 17 percent of the campus community, including 31 division deputies.

What do Employee Celebration Day and the United Way campaign have in common? Both are made possible by the gifts of time that Cornell volunteers put into them.

"Volunteering is a wonderful way to become involved in the life of the university," said Mary George Opperman, vice president for human resources. "I just love getting involved with the activities of the students, and when you can share in some of their accomplishments, you get a real sense that your day-to-day work at Cornell matters. In some way or another, everything we do contributes to their success."

For Cornell employees, the spring semester provides many such opportunities. For example, coming up soon are the Employee Assembly (EA) elections, which include the position of employee-elected trustee, a post that has been held by Mike Esposito since 2002. The EA comprises 13 staff volunteers who work closely with members of the administration, encourage higher visibility for employees as community members and represent employees' interests in the policy-making process. They coordinate the university president's address to staff in the fall, the George Peter Awards for Dedicated Service and the Emergency Grant Fund, as well as co-sponsor a number of events throughout the year.

Then, Bring a Child to Work Day, slated for April 24, will involve some 120 staff and faculty volunteers, who will assist with managing the hundreds of middle and high school children who come to this event each year.

"Numerous meetings and events to help Cornell employees feel engaged with the institution and connected to one another are also held on a regular basis, some initiated and organized by the staff and faculty themselves," said Cheryl McGraw, manager of outreach in the Division of Human Resources. "For instance, a group of faculty has come together to help newly hired faculty make connections here on campus and in the local community. The program they have developed, Expanding Social Opportunities, includes not only monthly receptions but also faculty brunches, wine classes and tours, a night at the theater and a summer picnic."

And in May, three large student-oriented events occur: Slope Day, Senior Convocation and Commencement.

"We generally need 750 students, staff and faculty to help with Slope Day," said Catherine Holmes '85, associate dean of students for student activities, "to cover the five gates, check IDs, assist along the perimeter of the event, run games and activities, help students and otherwise ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable day.

"We also need 150 volunteers for Senior Convocation, an event that now draws at least 15,000 attendees and features a nationally or internationally recognized speaker on the Saturday of Commencement Weekend. Recent speakers have included former President Bill Clinton, Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark, Rev. Martin Luther King III and photojournalist Soledad O'Brien. Volunteers assist as ushers, with special needs seating and so on," Holmes said.

Commencement is one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities. "Seeing approximately 6,000 seniors and graduate students, and their families and friends celebrate the completion of their degrees is [QUOTE]," said Judy Hart, director of human resource management for Student and Academic Services. "I would urge all staff to volunteer at least once during their career at Cornell, just to be reminded of why we are all really here."

Connie Mabry, director of university commencement events, concurred: "Each year we need approximately 350 volunteers, doing everything from handing out regalia, handing out programs, pinning carnations on every student, directing students and guests where to sit, to helping mobility-impaired guests to their seats. Each year these volunteers tell me how glad they are that they were part of this important milestone in the lives of our students."

Many individual departments and units also offer opportunities for volunteers, such as the Alumni Affairs and Development division, which depends on volunteers to help with the annual Class Reunions in June.

Those who would like to work directly with students to make an impact in the local community can check out the Public Service Center Web site at http://www.psc.cornell.edu/.