Beginning April 14, applications will be accepted for volunteer positions for the 2008 vice presidential debate, to be held at Washington University on October 2. All full- and part-time WUSTL students, postdoctoral appointees, faculty and staff who will be on campus for the fall 2008 semester are eligible to apply.
Volunteers are needed to provide administrative and technical support in a variety of areas during the week of the debate. Only a limited number of volunteers will have access to the debate hall.
Applications, which require a professional resume and a cover letter, will be accepted in two application periods. The early decision application process will run from Monday, April 14, through Friday, May 30. The regular decision application process will run from Tuesday, July 1, through Friday, Sept. 5. Volunteers will be selected based on the quality of their application materials and interest level. All volunteers also are required to pass a background check.
While staff and faculty are eligible to apply, preference will be given to students.
This is the fifth consecutive time the University has been selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) to host a debate. Washington University is the only institution to host more than two debates.
The University hosted the first three-candidate presidential debate in CPD history in 1992, was selected to host a presidential debate in 1996 that eventually was canceled, hosted the third and last presidential debate of the 2000 campaign season, and hosted the second of three presidential debates before the 2004 election.
Approximately 200 volunteers helped with each of the past presidential debates held at WUSTL. The University anticipates that a similar size group will be needed for the 2008 vice presidential debate.
For more information on the debate, visit debate.wustl.edu. For volunteer registration, access debate.wustl.edu/volunteer on or after April 14.
For questions regarding volunteering, contact Aimee Wittman at awittman@wustl.edu or Jennie Marchal at marchal@wustl.edu.
All other debate-related questions should be directed to Rob Wild, assistant to the chancellor, at rob.wild@wustl.edu.