CSER Tutorials For Students

• Access the CSER application by using the link: https://lu-serve.liberty.edu/
• If you are not registered for an opportunity, use the search function to find service that interests you.
• If you are registered, progress is tracked on the home page, where you can see the status of your CSER and log hours.
• By clicking “CSER Progress” in the top right of the screen, you can view your CSER Audit. This will provide you with an overview of the credits you have completed, and the credits that are still in progress.

If your organization is not listed in the CSER application, you can request a new organization:

1. Open the CSER application and go to the Search Tab
2. Click on the arrow next to the message “Is your CSER organization or opportunity missing?”

Filling out the new organization request

1. Enter the name of the organization and select “Look up Organization”. The CSER application will search for possible matches that may already exist.
2. If your organization appears in the list, select it and press “Continue.” You will then be able to:
   • View the organization page
   • Receive help if your supervisor is not listed
   • Receive help if an opportunity is not listed
3. If your organization is not listed, select “I do not see my organization” and click continue
4. You will be prompted to fill out relevant organizational information, including:
   • Name
   • Website
   • Type of organization (501(c)(3) nonprofit, church, civic organization, LU department or other)
   • Lead supervisor’s name, email, and phone number

After the form has been submitted, the supervisor will receive an email with instructions for the next steps in setting up the organization in the CSER system. Both the organization and the associated volunteer opportunity must be fully set up and approved by the LU Serve administrators before you are able to submit a CSER registration request.

Open the CSER application and go to the Search Tab. You must grant the application permission to access your approximate location to receive more targeted service opportunities. You may filter your search by:

• On/Off Campus
• Age Group
• Cause Area
• Organization Type
• School/College
• LU Athletics
• Remote/Virtual

You may also use the search bar to look for relevant opportunities. Once you find an opportunity that interests you, click on the opportunity and select “Request Registration.” Complete the form by filling out why you would like to serve at the chosen opportunity and initialing in the boxes.

Serve in ways that are unique to your major by registering for CSER by major. CSER by major is a way to find service opportunities related to your degree program with experiences that will benefit your course of study.

A past term registration is used when you finished a CSER in a previous semester but did not register or submit it at the time. Credit can only be awarded for terms after you have matriculated as a student at Liberty University.

1. Open the CSER application and go to the search tab
2. Click on your name in the top right corner of the page and select “Past Term Registration”
3. Select the year and the term that you completed your service
4. Enter the name of the organization
   • If the organization is already registered, it will appear as an option to autofill the relevant information
   • If it is not registered, you will fill out the organization information manually
5. Select the name of your supervisor. If your supervisor is not listed, provide their name, email, and phone number.
6. Complete the personal reflection for your service
7. Rate your supervisor and the organization and provide any additional comments.
8. Describe the nature of the service you previously completed and log all time worked for the opportunity.
9. After you have logged a minimum of 20 hours for one credit or a minimum of 40 hours for two credits, select submit.

Once the form is submitted, it will be reviewed by your supervisor and LU Serve staff for approval. When requesting multiple past term registrations, please submit one request at a time. Submitting several at once may result in denial if the organization is not CSER-eligible and could create duplicate organization entries. Once the first past term registration is approved, you may proceed with additional requests.

1. Open the CSER application and go to the home page
2. Locate the opportunity that you wish to drop and click the three-dot icon
3. Select “Drop CSER”
4. Enter your reason for dropping the opportunity and click the red “Drop CSER” button

1. Open the CSER application and go to the home page
2. Locate the opportunity that you wish to log hours for and click the “Log Hours” button
3. Fill out the number of hours completed, day worked, and a brief description of the service
4. Press the blue “Log Time” button
5. Logged hours can be edited or deleted after they are added

You must log a minimum of 20 hours with each registration before you can submit your CSER evaluation. To earn a double CSER, you must log a minimum of 40 hours before submitting. You can serve with multiple organizations, but you can only earn up to two CSER credits per organization per term.

1. Open the CSER application and go to the home page
2. Locate the opportunity where you served a minimum of 20 hours and click “Submit Evaluation”
3. Complete the personal reflection for your service
4. Select all applicable reasons for choosing this CSER opportunity
5. Rate your supervisor and the organization and provide any additional comments
   • The supervisor and organization ratings are for internal use only by LU Serve and will not be visible by the supervisor
6. Review your logged hours and make any changes if needed
7. Click “Submit Evaluation”

Once submitted, you may sign up for different opportunities with other organizations to continue earning CSER credits toward graduation. You are not eligible to register for the same CSER opportunity until the following term. Your supervisor will also complete an evaluation and assign a grade based on your volunteer hours. Once graded, your credit will be marked as Completed with your final grade. If you’ve already submitted your evaluation but want to earn a double credit, please reach out to your supervisor or cser@liberty.edu to have it reset so you can continue logging hours.

Submit a CSER Grade Appeal in Beacon. Select “New” from the menu near the top right of the page. The “CSER Grade Appeal” option will only be available if you have a CSER course in the system with a grade lower than an “A.”

1. Choose the type of appeal (CSER Drop or CSER Grade Appeal)
2. Choose the course being appealed from the dropdown of available courses. Only one course can be appealed per submission.
3. Enter a narrative for the appeal in the “Appeal” box.
4. Use the “Upload Document” control to add supporting documents for the “Appeal.”
5. Click the “Submit Appeal” button.
6. You will see an “Appeal Submitted” notification window with process information. Please read this information and then press the “OK” button.

The appeal will be visible on the “Open” tab of the “Student” page in Beacon.

• The “Edit” button will allow additional documents to be added to the “Appeal.”
• The “Withdraw” button will withdraw the appeal request from Beacon.

If a CSER grade appeal is marked as “Request Info” by the administrative reviewer in the CSER office, the CSER Grade Appeal will display a “Messages” section with a “New” indicator. The message can be responded to in the “Response” box and submitted back to the reviewer by clicking the “Send Response” button.

Once the reviewer has made a final decision, the CSER grade appeal will move from the student’s “Open” tab to the “Closed” tab, where the “Status” and “Appeal Decision” will be visible.

Update to grades on the official transcript will occur the morning following the approval of a CSER grade appeal–6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.