Community Service
Mission and Purpose
Service to the community remains a central aspect of what it means to embody the spirit of a Mountaineer, a sentiment which is echoed in West Virginia University and the School of Medicine's missions. Exercise Physiology students are called to enact this mission by completing a minimum of 25 community service hours for each academic year in the program as part of a graduation requirement.
Requirements and Restrictions
As students complete community service, they must log hours in iServe no later than 6 months after completion. For a complete list of approved sites, visit iServe.
Hours counted towards this requirement must uniquely count for community service and cannot also be counted for shadowing hours or as a required portion of a course in which you are receiving credit.
Approved Community Service
Approved service areas include, but are not limited to:
- Local school or educational programs: volunteer coaching, volunteer tutoring, after-school programs
- Art and cultural organizations: volunteering as tour guide, office duties
- Environmental causes: clean-ups (e.g., roads, rail trail), educational or office duties
- Animal support: volunteering at local pound, animal rescue, or associated establishment
- Religious organizations: teaching Sunday school, chaperoning events
- Self-help groups: Boys and Girls Club, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts
- Food insecurity causes: food pantries, Empty Bowls, Bartlett House
- Blood drives: blood donation, volunteering to help in the blood drive
- Exercise Physiology Club events: card making and delivery, Relay for Life, Children’s Hospital events
Non-Approved Community Service
Non-approved service areas include, but are not limited to:
- Shadowing a PT, OT, PA, DO, MD
- Donating purchased baked goods, canned goods, money
- Any course that the student is earning credit for (e.g., SRVL 300 or 400)
- Acting as a research subject or participant
- Research data collection or writing
- Grading papers for courses, teaching assistant duties
- Paid positions of any variety