Developing students' citizenship skills through recognition of voluntary community work

Abstract

The encouragement of the development of a set of graduate attributes in Australian universities is not new. Mostly this takes place within the formal curriculum. The University of New England's non-competitive award for extra-curricular participation and achievement at university support its graduate attributes policy. This recognises the valuable skills and attributes developed through non-accredited activities: extra-curricular learning and training; preparation for the workplace including part-time paid and voluntary work; and contribution to the university and local communities. This paper focuses on the impact of voluntary work, both in the workplace and in the community. Voluntary work appears an excellent vehicle for the development of graduate attributes and qualities including citizenship.