2024 Volunteer Policy
High Point University
1 Contents Introduction 2 Welcome! .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Mission 3 Vision......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Inclusion & Diversity 3 About HPU Gardens 4 Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Organizational Structure 5 Important Contacts ................................................................................................................................... 6 Volunteer Program ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Volunteer Roles 7 Horticultural Volunteer ......................................................................................................................... 7 Conservatory Volunteer 7 Individual Garden Volunteers ............................................................................................................... 7 Orientation & Training .............................................................................................................................. 7 Scheduling & Attendance 8 Policies & Procedures ................................................................................................................................... 9 Volunteer Code of Conduct 9 Staff Code of Conduct ............................................................................................................................... 9 Conflict Resolution .................................................................................................................................... 9 Arrival Procedures 10 Safety & Security ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Weather .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Campus Security...................................................................................................................................... 11
Introduction
Welcome!
Thank you for volunteering to spend your time and energy with the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum & Botanical Gardens (HPU Gardens). We have big dreams about how we want this garden to grow, and we won’t be able to do it without you!
Our volunteer program is important to us because we want to create connections between the HPU Gardens and the High Point and greater Triad communities. By volunteering, you become a stakeholder in the vision the HPU Gardens team is working to create.
Volunteer contributions will also allow us to expand the capacity of what our team can achieve. This means your help makes it possible to create new gardens, refresh and renovate existing ones, and offer more to communities both within and outside of HPU.
This handbook is intended to introduce you to the gardens and provide an overview of the policies and procedures that will be helpful during your time with us. If you have any questions or concerns about your volunteer experience, please don’t hesitate to discuss them with me.
We hope that your time here provides you with opportunities to create community, develop new skills, and grow personally. Thank you so much for partnering with the HPU Gardens Team!
Sincerely,
Rachel Diaz Gardens Coordinator2
Mission
Plants are the foundation of all life on our planet, and we are dependent on them for the basic necessities of life. Additionally, plants create places of peace and beauty that improve well-being and mental health. Botanical gardens and arboreta are places where plants flourish, biodiversity thrives, and people connect to the natural resources that sustain us. HPU recognizes our responsibility to be good stewards of creation, so our gardens are places that inspire our students, staff, and visitors to appreciate and value plants and the natural world.
Vision
We envision our Gardens and Arboretum to be a place of inspiration, reflection, and education for our university, and contribute to a healthy ecosystem and thriving community in the Triad region and beyond.
Inclusion & Diversity
“High Point University considers a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as a core component of our mission and an essential ingredient to a holistic education in the liberal arts tradition. We welcome and respect students, faculty, staff, and volunteers of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, sexual identities, and gender expressions, abilities, classes, ages, and political ideas. We recognize that diversity also includes a range of geographic locations, communication styles, family makeup, educational background, military service, and other unique life experiences.” – HPU Office of Multicultural Affairs
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About HPU Gardens
Overview
We are a free public garden situated within the High Point University campus, offering tours and self-guided exploration.
HPU First Lady Mariana Qubein inspired the creation of our first garden, a formal rose garden, in 2006. She later formed an Arboretum Committee to develop an Arboretum and Botanical Garden on campus. With the help of numerous committee members, the Gardens staff, and a team of students, the Arboretum and Botanical Gardens have grown to 29 named garden areas and 5 woody plant collections.
The HPU Campus has received Tree Campus USA certification every year since 2008 and in 2022 we were awarded a Level II Accreditation from the ArbNet Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum.
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Organizational Structure
Arboretum
Comittee
Various Members
Gardens
Coordinator
Rachel Diaz
Horticulturist
Faith Stutts
Gardens
Curator
Emma Martone
Horticulturist
Emily Merritt
Student
Employees
Various
Horticulturist
Jacob Gilbert
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Important Contacts
Rachel Diaz, Gardens Coordinator
rdiaz2@highpoint.edu
336-870-1846
Emma Martone, Gardens Curator
emartone@highpoint.edu
336-941-7451
Jacob Gilbert, Horticulturist
336-688-3473
Faith Stutts, Horticulturist
fstutts@highpoint.edu
336-951-9989
Emily Merritt, Horticulturist
336-953-9760
emerrit1@highpoint.edu
HPU Security
336-841-9111
High Point City Police, non-emergency number
336-883-3224
Campus Concierge (General Help Line)
336-841-4636
* If you have an emergency on campus and are unable to call security with a cell phone, find one of the blue call boxes. Press the button and it will connect you to Campus Security *
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Volunteer Program
Volunteer Roles
Horticulture Volunteer
Horticulture volunteers support the horticulture team in the day-today maintenance of our 30 garden spaces. This position is best suited for people interested in outdoor gardening who are enthusiastic about plants, communicate well with staff, and have a desire to learn new skills.
Conservatory Volunteer
This position supports the indoor plants in the Caine Conservatory including their tropical and sub-tropical collections and desert and succulent collections. It is overseen by the Director and Manager of the conservatory but administered through the same Better Impact portal.
Individual Garden Volunteers
There may be occasional opportunities to take on additional responsibilities for a single garden area, working in collaboration with the gardens staff to determine a maintenance plan.
Orientation & Training
Each volunteer season will begin with an orientation shift for new members where we will answer questions about the volunteer handbook, give a tour of the campus gardens, and discuss basic knowledge related to your volunteer role. Ongoing training will occur during volunteer shifts as new tasks and skill-building opportunities arise.
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Scheduling & Attendance
Available shifts will be listed in the Better Impact Opportunity Calendar. Volunteers should commit to a regular schedule of at least 2 shifts per month. If you are unavailable during regular volunteer shifts, discuss your desired schedule with the Gardens Coordinator.
To help respect the time of our small team, we expect volunteers to arrive on time for their scheduled shifts.
If you are unable to make it to your shift, you are responsible for notifying the Gardens Coordinator in a timely manner. If your shift is cancelled due to weather or other factors, the Gardens Coordinator will notify you as soon as possible.
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Policies & Procedures
Volunteer Code of Conduct
o Respect fellow volunteers, staff, and students
o Use volunteer time efficiently and productively
o Protect the privacy of volunteers, staff, and students
o Be responsible with tools and equipment
o Represent HPU with professionalism
o Inform of us any tasks or responsibilities you are either unable, uncomfortable, or unwilling to perform
o Dress appropriately for assigned tasks and weather
o Report any accidents and incidents to the Gardens Coordinator promptly
Staff Code of Conduct
o Respect volunteers’ time by being organized
o Provide educational opportunities
o Provide a safe and respectful work environment
o Provide the appropriate trainings and equipment to complete your assigned tasks
o Treat volunteers with fairness, dignity and respect
Conflict Resolution
We want to have positive relationships and build community, so when conflicts arise, we hope to resolve them through honest and respectful conversations. The Gardens Coordinator will act as mediator for disputes. If you prefer to discuss the dispute with the Gardens Curator, you may contact Emma Martone at emartone@highpoint.edu
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Arrival Procedures
On the morning of your shift, the Gardens Coordinator or a Horticulturist should notify you of the location on campus to meet. Unless other instructions are given, enter campus through the main gate at 1 N. University Drive. Park in an unlabeled parking spot (avoid numbered spots, reserved, and visitor) and walk to the agreed upon garden area
Safety & Security
Your safety is important to us. We will make every effort to minimize risk, but working outdoors with tools carries some inherent risks. We will not require volunteers to perform any tasks that feel unsafe or carry a risk beyond what each person is comfortable with. If you feel uncomfortable with what you are asked to do, please discuss that with your staff supervisor on duty or call the Gardens Coordinator.
Weather
Seek shelter immediately if you hear thunder or see lightning while in the gardens. Stay inside until thunder and lightning have not been observed for 30 minutes. A safe shelter is inside a sturdy building or a hard-top car. We recommend using a weather app that alerts you to nearby lightning strikes as well.
If the weather makes travelling to campus unsafe, please stay home and contact the Gardens Coordinator.
If the HPU campus is closed due to weather, the Gardens Coordinator will notify you with as much notice as possible.
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Campus Security
You will be required to show your HPU Passport and parking pass each time you enter campus. If you need a replacement, notify the Gardens Coordinator prior to your next shift.
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