Felicia Forte

Overall, I had a great time volunteering at Homecoming this year! This isn’t my first time helping out, and I always enjoy being part of campus events.

I do have a few suggestions that could make things smoother for future volunteers:

Assignment changes: My assignment was switched last minute because too many people had signed up for that position. Since volunteers often pick roles based on things like proximity to their office, parking, and the duties involved, a late change can throw things off. It might help to reevaluate how many volunteers each station really needs, and to note on the registration page that roles may be shifted if necessary, so everyone knows that’s a possibility going in.

On-site guidance: When I got to my new area, no one was there to meet me, and I wasn’t given the shuttle schedule I’d been told I’d have. I ended up heading back to the BDT Suites (my original assignment), where there was also little direction. We mostly just waved and welcomed people walking over from the parking garage, which was fun, but a little more structure would have helped. A few more shift leads would go a long way in making sure volunteers feel set up for success.

I know weather and staffing may have played a part, and I really appreciate everyone’s hard work behind the scenes. I love volunteering for campus events and look forward to doing it again. A bit more organization would make the experience even better!

It seemed like there were more ushers than necessary. Many of us were just standing around aimlessly for quite some time.