This document summarizes research on college student volunteerism at Georgia Southern University. It presents two main research questions: 1) Do college students volunteer for personal gain? and 2) What mediums do college students use to find volunteer opportunities? It includes two cross-tabulations: one analyzing the relationship between year in school and motivation to volunteer for resume boosting, finding no significant difference. The other analyzes the relationship between hours volunteered per week and information sources used to find opportunities, also finding no significant differences. The document concludes by outlining key elements to include in a volunteer recruitment flier.

1. PR Research:
Volunteerism at Georgia
Southern University
Kristyn Fielding, Kelsie Kennedy, Anne Rhodes, and
Megan Vaughn

2. Research Questions
RQ1: Do college students volunteer for personal gain?
Sub-Q 1: Is self-esteem associated with volunteer hours?
Sub-Q 2: Are resume boosters associated with year in school?
RQ2: What mediums do college students use to find volunteer opportunities?
Sub-Q 3: Is social media use associated with volunteer hours?
Sub-Q 4: Is the information source associated with the volunteer area?

3. Cross Tabulation
Overall, 13.22% of participants responded that they disagree that they volunteer to boost their
resume, while 65.52% of participants responded that they agree that they volunteer to boost their
resume. 21.26% of the participants responded that they neither agree nor disagree that they
volunteer to boost their resume. The data indicated that 64.00% of underclassmen agree that they
volunteer for resume boosters, while 66.67% of upperclassmen volunteer for resume boosters.
We can conclude that there is no difference between the years in school and students’ motivation
for volunteering based on resume boosters.
What year are you in school?
Underclassme
n
Upperclassme
n
Graduate
Student
Total
Please indicate whether you agree
or disagree with the following
statements. - I volunteer to boost
my resume.
Strongly Disagree,
Disagree
12
16.00%
11
11.11%
0
0.00%
23
13.22%
Neither Agree nor
Disagree
15
20.00%
22
22.22%
0
0.00%
37
21.26%
Agree, Strongly
Agree
48
64.00%
66
66.67%
0
0.00%
114
65.52%
Not
Applicable/Don't
Know
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
Total
75
100.00%
99
100.00%
0
100.00%
174
100.00
%

4. Cross Tabulation
Overall, 90.80% of participants responded that they volunteer zero to three hours per week, 7.47% of participants
responded that they volunteer four to six hours per week, 0.57% responded that they volunteer seven to nine
hours per week, while 1.15% responded that they volunteer 10 or more hours per week. The data indicated that
92.00% of those that volunteer zero to three hours per week found opportunities to volunteer through social
media, 79.41% of those that volunteer zero to three hours per week found opportunities to volunteer through
traditional media, 91.07% of those who volunteer zero to three hours per week found opportunities to volunteer
through on-campus resources, while 85.11% of those that volunteer zero to three hours per week found
opportunities to volunteer through other means. We can conclude that there is no difference between the number
of hours that students volunteer and the type of information source used to find volunteer opportunities.
Where do you go to find volunteer opportunities? Check
all that apply
Social
Media
Traditional
Media
Campus
Resources
Other (please
specify)
Total
How many hours per week
do you volunteer currently?
0-3
69
92.00%
27
79.41%
102
91.07%
40
85.11%
158
90.80%
4-6
6
8.00%
4
11.76%
9
8.04%
7
14.89%
13
7.47%
7-9
0
0.00%
1
2.94%
1
0.89%
0
0.00%
1
0.57%
10 or
more
0
0.00%
2
5.88%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
2
1.15%
Total
75
100.00%
34
100.00%
112
100.00%
47
100.00%
174
100.00
%

5. Flier Information and Design
Elements
● Target Audience
● Font Choice
● Online Presence
● Why Volunteer?