Al Quds Open University, in accordance with the decision of the University Council at its session No. (365) held on 14/06/2010, accredited (voluntary work) as a compulsory requirement to graduate students. Each student is required to accomplish a total of 50 hours of Community work, the accomplishment of these voluntary hours starts from the first semester until the graduation semester, the student will be granted the University degree only after completing the required Voluntary work hours beside the academic requirements, the achievement of these hours is a major graduation requirements. The Deanship of Student Affairs supervises voluntary work through its sections at the University branches and centers.

Objectives of the voluntary work

• Educating the students and eliminating destructive phenomena.
• Developing the positive attitudes of the students.
• Discovering and developing the talents of students
• Self-development
• Enhancing the values of volunteering among students.
• Training students in different fields

• University events such as mentoring for new students, cleaning and maintenance campaigns, libraries, book delivery ... etc.
• Volunteering in NGOs and assisting needy groups.
• Volunteering in governmental institutions to serve the public interest of the Palestinian society.
• Rehabilitation and assistance for persons with disabilities.
• Assisting farmers during olive harvest seasons and other seasons.
• Helping the wounded, the sick and the elderly (organized collectively).
• Protecting the environment through hygiene promotion campaigns in public places, planting trees and agricultural campaigns, and others.
• Blood donation campaigns (Each unit is equivalent to 10 hours of voluntary work) provided that the donated units do not exceed two blood units.
• Participating in awareness campaigns in elections.
• Participating in consumer protection awareness campaigns.
• Any other voluntary work for the benefit of the community and its development.

Applying for voluntary work takes two forms:

 First: Providing voluntary services in cooperation and coordination with the local community institutions as a contribution to achieving integration and solidarity through providing distinctive human services.

Second providing voluntary services and activities inside the University's premises such as participation in conferences, seminars and festivals, blood donation campaigns, olive picking, environmental protection campaigns, landscaping, etc., that are carried out either individually or collectively.

First: The Section of Student Affairs, through the academic portal, presents the information related to voluntary work, it clarifies the voluntary work locations, and supervisors, work fields, and the institutions wishing to attract volunteers, whether individual volunteer or group.

Second: The officer at the Student Affairs Section at the branch announces the voluntary work opportunity, whether internal or external, according to the required data.

In case the voluntary work opportunity is in a community institution, the following steps are taken:

• Registration for group external voluntary work

1. The student logs into his / her account at the academic portal, and reviews the available voluntary work opportunities and registers within the specified time ;
2. The Student Affairs Section at the branch reviews the applications for voluntary work, contacts the interested institutions, and replies to these institutions along with a list of the volunteer students’ names and evaluation reports, which include the number of completed volunteering hours and the conduct of the volunteer during the volunteering period. These reports are signed by the director of the institution or representative and sent to the Branch Director to submit it to the concerned party while a copy is kept for follow up matters.

• Registration for individual external voluntary work

1. The officer at the Student Affairs at the Branch and through the voluntary work system at the academic portal registers the student interested in the individual volunteer work.
2. The Student Affairs Section at the Branch issues a form addressing the institution interested in the voluntary individual work, according to the approved form of one of the volunteer student, accompanied by the volunteer evaluation report, and sent to the Branch Director to transfer it to the concerned party.

In case the voluntary work will  be carried out inside the University, collective or individual, such as participating  activities, festivals, seminars, etc., or through participation in community activities such as blood donation, cleaning and maintenance campaigns, olives picking, assisting students with disabilities, handing over books, guiding new students, etc..,  the following procedures are taken.

• Registration for group internal voluntary work

1. The Head of Student Affairs at the Branch receives an internal memo from the Branch Director requesting group voluntary work at  any section at the Branch;
2. The Student Affairs officer at the branch announces the voluntary work opportunity;
3. The student logs into his / her account at the academic portal, and looks at the voluntary work announcements within the specified period.
4. The officer at the Student Affairs Section issues a list of volunteer students and the evaluation reports, and sends them to the Branch Director to transfer them to the concerned section.

Registration for individual internal voluntary work:

1. The officer at the Student Affairs Section at the Branch , through the academic portal, registers the student interested in the individual voluntary work;
2. The officer at the Student Affairs Section prepares an evaluation report and sends it to the concerned section, and keeps a copy of the forms for follow-up.

After completing the entire voluntary work inside the University’s premises or outside it whether group or individual, the following steps are taken:

1. The officer, at the Student Affairs Section at the Branch, receives the evaluation report, with the total number of accomplished voluntary work hours.
2.  The Student Affairs Section at the Branch approves the evaluation report, stamps it and submits it to the Registration Section in the Branch.
3. The Officer at the registration section at the Branch enters the total number of volunteered hours of each student to the system of the voluntary work to be approved and confirmed.
4. The student receives a notification from the Admissions and Registration Section at the Branch / Center acknowledging the receipt of the Section of a report from the institution in which the students volunteered and the number of volunteered hours.
5. Upon the completion of the required voluntary work hours, the student receives an acknowledgment from the Registration Section stating the completion of 50 voluntary work hours; the student submits the paper to the Student Affairs Section for signing the form of release.