The AEC program currently requires students to complete a minimum of 40 hours of program-related school and community service prior to graduation. We call it a “service” requirement, but in fact it is be possible for students to meet the requirement at least in part with AEC-related personal and professional development activities in addition to service activities per se.

Roughly, the requirement is designed to promote greater student awareness and involvement in community issues and needs related to our industry and the natural and built environment. Most of the activities are educational as well as fun, and because of this they aid classroom learning. At the same time, they are a benefit to the community and the AEC industry, a means by which the AEC program is supported and promoted, and an occasion for student interaction both in classes and out of school. The requirement enhances the "esprit de corps" within the AEC program.

A list of approved activities is shown below. They range from tutoring AEC students, assisting disabled students, participating at career fairs, etc., to volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, assisting at AEC industry events, and participating in national architectural or engineering design competitions. Students choose activities that are available and of interest to them, and they meet the 40-hour requirement in various ways and at various times over the two years prior to graduation.

Specific objectives:

1. To promote greater student awareness and involvement in community issues and needs related to the AEC industry and the natural and built environment. It is expected that student interest and awareness will carry over to classroom and lab work.
2. To serve the community in ways that relate to the AEC program and student interests developed in program courses. Intended peripheral outcomes of this objective are greater program visibility and improved relationships with community and industry partners.
3. To assist the AEC program in promotion, recruitment, and retention efforts (assistance at career and technology fairs, connections with high schools, special assistance for new students, etc.).
4. To promote involvement of AEC students with industry professionals and organizations.
5. To promote interaction of second-year students with new students and generally students with students in activities out of the classroom as well as in.
6. To encourage students to participate in organized design and other competitions, the AEC Club, and simply related volunteer work.
7. To promote leadership and a sense of contributing that is valued particularly in AEC professions focused on the complexion of the local community and the built environment.
8. To involve students in active and varied work experiences to balance rather sedentary lab work and to generally widen the range of student learning experiences.
9. To promote student resourcefulness, initiative, and opportunities for working with others.

Following is a starter list of approved service activities. Other activities may be added later upon application by students and approval the AEC School and Community Service Committee composed of AEC instructors, a counselor or coop instructor, and a student.

NO. ACTIVITY HOURS 1 Volunteer work at any AEC industry trade fair Hours as approved 2 Participation in an architectural or engineering design contest sponsored by a local or national organization Max. 10 hours 3 Additional credit for any individual or team award received as a result of participation in a contest as described at #2 Max. 10 hours 4 Volunteer work with an organization such as Habitat For Humanity, Affordable Housing Alliance, National Assn. of Women in Construction, or Building Industry Assn. of Hawaii Hours of service (no maximum) 5 Assistance to the AEC program at a career fair or other promotional/recruitment event Hours of service (no maximum) 6 Volunteer AEC lab assistance Hours of assistance by arrangement when available; maximum 20 hours; available to second-year students only 7 Volunteer tutoring of an AEC student Hours of assistance by arrangement when needed; maximum 20 hours; available to second-year students only 8 Attendance at an organized, approved architectural, engineering, or related office, job site, or project tour 2 hours per tour; maximum total 10 hours 9 Volunteer work for an AEC-related government agency or professional organization Hours of service; maximum 20 hours 10 Presentation of AEC-related information to high school or other post-secondary group(s) 3 hours per presentation; maximum 10 hours 11 Organization and leadership of any AEC student off-campus social or recreational outing Lesser of 2 hours or length of outing; maximum 2 times; credit to maximum of 2 students per outing 12 Construction of any special display or other item that benefits the AEC program Hours as agreed upon prior to activity 13 Organization, leadership, and/or major assistance related to any on-campus activity that promotes or otherwise benefits the AEC program or industry Hours of service; maximum 20 hours 14 Attendance at any home or construction industry trade show, AEC seminar, or similar event or activity 2 hours per event/activity; or documented hours 15 Service as an AEC Club officer President = 10 hours Treasurer = 5 hours Vice-president = 5 hours Senator = 5 hours Secretary = 5 hours First-yr Representative = 3 hours Hours credited upon election, but hours will be disallowed later if club does not undertake at least four activities that each involve a minimum of ten club members and is advertised to all. These do not include trade show assistance or student luncheons. Senator must document attending at least three Student Life club meetings. 18 Assistance in planning, preparating, or staging of the end-of-year portfolio presentation event by graduating AEC students Hours of assistance; maximum total 15 hours; not available to AEC student presenters 20 Representation of the AEC program or the Tech I Division on any school-sponsored committee (not including club or student government committees) 5 hours per committee membership 21 Membership in any environmental or AEC professional organization 4 hours per membership 22 First-time employment in an architectural or enginering office or as a CAD technician in a construction or interior design office 5 hours; first-time AEC-related employment only (not available for continuing previous employment or re-employment) 23 New paid or unpaid internship in an architectural or enginering office or as a CAD technician in an interior design office 5 hours 17 Special, well-defined assistance to any physically impaired AEC student Hours of assistance (no maximum) 16 Unpaid volunteer work on architectural or engineering drawings or other project(s) requested by other HCC department or outside individual(s) or organization Documented hours of work (maximum total 20 hours). Not available for projects of your own or your family. Show your drawing work if requested. 19 Volunteer field work for any environmental organization Hours of work; maximum total 15 hours 24 Any other activity approved by the AEC School and Community Service Committee Hours as approved

Rules and routines:

1. Grades and credits. No grades or credits are awarded. The requirement is not part of any course.
2. Required documentation. All activities must be documented on a standard form that indicates the type of activity, contact person and phone number, date, hours of activity, etc. Claimed activities are randomly verified. Documentation needs to be complete.
3. Who may document. No activity may be documented by family members, employers, or anyone not leading the activity.
4. Questionable activities. If there is any doubt whatsoever about an activity qualifying for approval, clarification should be obtained before the activity is undertaken.
5. Activities not listed. Application for approval of any type of activity not on the pre-approved list must be submitted at least four weeks before a ruling is expected or needed. The AEC School and Community Service Committee will rule on each application. Committee votes must be unanimous. There will be no individual member rulings. All applications must be submitted on a standard form.
6. Computation of hours. All periods of service must be at least one hour in length, and additional fractional hours will not be counted (e.g., 50 minutes is not counted, 1 hour and 20 minutes is counted as one hour, etc.).

7. Service during the first two semesters. Documentation of at least 10 hours of service must be submitted prior to the end of the second semester of AEC enrollment or prior to the completion of 22 credits of AEC coursework (not including pre-program AEC 80). This is required so that students do not put service activities off completely until near the end of the program, so they develop an early “comfort” with it, and so they will still have the summer between the first and second years to complete most of the requirement. Although no student will be dropped from the AEC program or prevented from taking courses due to failure to submit documentation of the first 10 hours, an additional 10 hours will be added to the 40-hour requirement for anyone who does not meet the requirement.

8. Specific deadlines. All Service Activity Validation and Report Forms must be submitted no later than two months after the start of the activity and no later than one weeks prior to the last day of spring semester classes (to allow for approval/verification, to not interfere with studying for exams, etc.). The 40-hour service requirement must be completed in its entirety by the deadline prior to graduation. No student will be permitted to graduate with an AEC degree prior to completion of the service requirement.
9. Late submission of documentation. No late submissions will be accepted as on-time submissions.
10. Service requirement explained. The service requirement for graduation is explained in detail at the AEC New Student Orientation. Students are encouraged to fulfill the requirement well before the final deadline to avoid unforeseen events that might interfere at the last minute.
11. Prior service. No program or community service completed prior to enrollment in the AEC program will be counted.
12. Liability. All non-profit organizations carry liability insurance. Nevertheless, students are encouraged to consider safety when planning and participating in service activities. For students who would rather not participate in out-of-class required activities because of possible personal risk (whatever those risks might be perceived to be), there are many activities available to students in the AEC labs and/or in the accompaniment of an AEC instructor (career fairs, e.g.).
13. Misrepresentations. Any misrepresentation by a student will result in hours being added to the 40-hour requirement. The number of added hours will depend on the seriousness of the misrepresentation, but additional hours shall not be fewer than 10.
14. Keeping track of service hours. An online record is kept for students to track their progress. In addition to it being a tracking device, this record will benefit students by providing them with examples of types of service that others have undertaken. Figures indicating how students rated their service experiences are also shown as an aid to other students later considering or planning their own activities.