The Impact of Campus Volunteer Activities on the Enhancement of Practical Skills for Secretarial Studies Students

: Campus volunteer activities are a primary way for contemporary university students to engage in voluntary work, and the content and format of these activities are highly suitable for the growth needs of secretarial studies students. Participating in volunteer activities allows secretarial studies students to apply the theoretical knowledge they have learned in the classroom to practical situations, gaining a deeper understanding of their field and enhancing their professional practical skills. Furthermore, engaging in volunteer service activities enables students to improve themselves and perfect their skills. This article focuses on the exploration of volunteer activities as a starting point for studying the cultivation of practical skills among secretarial studies students, thereby opening up new pathways for the development of secretarial talents.


Introduction
Campus volunteer organizations serve as the foundation for contemporary university students to engage in voluntary activities and are also crucial platforms for secretarial studies students to enhance their practical skills. Participating in campus volunteer service activities helps cultivate students' sense of social responsibility, facilitating effective self-awareness in their future development. Additionally, it enriches the practical experiences of secretarial studies students and promotes the enhancement and development of their practical skills. [1]

Characteristics of Secretarial Studies Major
In 2012, the Secretarial Studies major was included in the National Ministry of Education's undergraduate program directory as a specially designated discipline. This signifies the development of the Secretarial Studies major in an independent direction and indicates that our secretarial work is officially progressing towards professionalization, specialization, standardization, regulation, and internationalization.

Characteristics of Applied Secretarial Studies as an Emerging Field
Although Secretarial Studies is classified as a humanities discipline, it possesses strong integrative and practical characteristics due to its specialized nature. It emphasizes the integration of theory and practice, focusing on the combination of theoretical knowledge and real-world applications. The discipline places importance on the cultivation of practical skills in Secretarial Studies students, aiming to enhance their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical work and solve real-life problems. However, the majority of universities that offer Secretarial Studies programs have followed precedents, with the discipline still heavily relying on Chinese language and literature as its foundation. There is an overemphasis on knowledge in language, literature, and cultural history, while practical training and development of practical skills are often neglected. As a result, there is a low level of alignment and adaptability between talent cultivation in Secretarial Studies and the demands of society. [2] Therefore, we must firmly adhere to the fundamental principle of "Applied Humanities" and enhance the practical abilities and skills of students in the field of Secretarial Studies. This will enable the specialization to develop a relative advantage in terms of practical capabilities compared to other humanities disciplines, thus promoting the advancement of Secretarial Studies. Campus volunteer activities in universities provide a platform for students in Secretarial Studies to enhance their practical skills, thereby facilitating the implementation of the "Applied Humanities" principle in the field.

The main objective of talent cultivation is to focus on advanced application-oriented skills
With the development of the socio-economic landscape, there has been an increasing specialization of job roles, including the field of secretarial work. As an important profession in the social sphere, the requirements for secretarial positions have become more specialized and diversified. Examples of well-known secretarial roles include executive secretaries, legal secretaries, and administrative secretaries, among others. Different industry positions have varying professional skill requirements for secretarial personnel. For example, a business secretary assists superiors in handling various business-related matters, requiring a foundation of theoretical and practical knowledge in areas such as business management, marketing, and human resources. Additionally, they should possess basic knowledge in business public relations, negotiations, foreign languages, and economic regulations. On the other hand, a legal secretary not only needs fundamental secretarial knowledge but also requires a solid understanding of law and legal thinking. They must provide efficient and professional legal knowledge services to leaders to resolve legal issues effectively.
The contradiction between the traditional teaching model of secretarial studies in China and the personalized demands of society constrains the supply-demand balance in the domestic secretarial talent market, resulting in an imbalance in the current job market for secretarial professionals. This poses new challenges to the practicality and effectiveness of practical teaching systems in secretarial studies at universities. It is precisely based on this reality that the majority of universities offering secretarial studies aim to cultivate highly professional, highly qualified, internationally-oriented, versatile, and application-oriented senior secretarial professionals as their talent development goals.

The existing training model emphasizes theory over practice
Although after decades of development, the secretarial studies education in Chinese mainland has gradually formed a multi-level and multi-mode education system, the teaching model that emphasizes the training of professional theoretical knowledge remains the most common in universities offering secretarial studies programs. This has resulted in an imbalance between theoretical and practical education resources, and the existing training model within schools tends to prioritize theory over practice, which does not align well with the specific demands of the current job market for secretarial professionals. As a result, the goal of cultivating high-level applied talents in secretarial studies is not fully achieved in some universities.
In addition, students themselves have certain limitations in practical aspects, which pose challenges to the cultivation of practical skills for secretarial studies students in universities and result in relatively weak practical abilities. Furthermore, students demonstrate poor ability to acquire practical resources and course knowledge. Even if schools provide theoretical and practical course resources for secretarial studies students, some students lack self-directed learning abilities, which hinders their active acquisition of relevant knowledge and timely feedback on their learning outcomes to the school.

The Positive Significance of Campus Volunteer Activities for Applied Secretarial Studies Students' Practical Skills
"Campus volunteer activities play a significant role in enhancing various professional skills of university students, including interpersonal communication skills, coordination and negotiation abilities, language proficiency, organizational and managerial skills, problem analysis and solving abilities, as well as leadership skills. These skills are precisely what secretarial studies students need to learn and cultivate in practice, indicating that campus volunteer activities have a positive impact on the development of practical skills for students in the field of secretarial studies." [3] As secretarial studies students engage as volunteers in campus community service activities and social welfare initiatives, they demonstrate care for socially disadvantaged groups and gain a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in realizing their own self-worth. While individuals receive recognition from society, it also enhances the value and spiritual satisfaction of the secretarial studies profession. By participating in campus volunteer service activities, secretarial studies students can enrich their professional learning experience, leading to an enhancement of their professional competence and skills.

The Practical Educational Function of Campus Volunteer Activities
Student participation in campus volunteer services is a voluntary and conscious act, demonstrating a strong sense of initiative. Students majoring in Secretarial Studies actively choose to participate in campus volunteer activities and are willing to make sufficient preparations for these activities. This mobilizes their enthusiasm for learning and ignites a passion for education.
The volunteer service activities organized on campus are diverse, including tasks such as cleaning and hygiene, traffic management, performing programs, promoting epidemic prevention and control, visiting the elderly, planning various events, and undertaking corresponding management roles in these activities. These activities require volunteers to possess different skills, necessitating continuous learning and skill improvement. However, relying solely on textbook knowledge is insufficient; volunteers also need to acquire various supplementary knowledge and practical skills.To fulfill their responsibilities in volunteer service, volunteers proactively participate in organized training programs or independently seek information for self-directed learning. This, to a certain extent, stimulates the enthusiasm for independent learning among students majoring in Secretarial Studies. Furthermore, volunteer activities provide them with opportunities to apply what they have learned into practice. The sense of accomplishment and fulfillment gained from these activities will in turn positively impact their academic pursuits, creating a virtuous cycle.

The personal development function of campus volunteer activities
The participation of secretarial studies students in volunteer actions is beneficial for expediting their socialization process, allowing them to quickly understand work and integrate into society. In the field of secretarial work, the ability to coordinate and organize is crucial for professionals in this field. During their time in school, due to a lack of corresponding educational resources, students in secretarial studies often lack practical training in organizational planning and coordination abilities, resulting in their personal skills not being fully developed. However, when secretarial studies students engage in campus volunteer services, especially when assuming roles as project organizers or managers in volunteer projects, they are required to plan and allocate resources such as people and materials, utilize their acquired knowledge to manage and coordinate project activities, identify personal shortcomings through practice, and continually improve themselves. This process effectively enhances their organizational planning and coordination abilities, contributing to the development of their overall coordination and organizational skills as university students.

The Insights of Campus Volunteer Activities on the Cultivation of Practical Skills for Secretarial Studies Talents
The cultivation of practical skills is essential for students majoring in Secretarial Studies and plays a crucial role in their future career development. Campus volunteer activities in universities serve as an important platform for Secretarial Studies students to enhance their practical skills. Additionally, participating in campus volunteer service activities has a positive and constructive impact on the moral integrity of Secretarial Studies students. It helps them continually improve themselves, enhance their personal qualities, and serves as a practical platform for implementing ideological and political education for students in the Secretarial Studies field. [4]

A New Path for the Dissemination of Professional Theoretical Knowledge
Scholar Wang Zhibin once pointed out that whether from the perspective of professional education development or the demand for secretarial talents in society, campus volunteer service activities, as the most easily accessible social practice for current secretarial students, are a necessary component in cultivating secretarial talents.
Campus volunteer activities provide a new platform for knowledge output for students majoring in secretarial studies. As student volunteers in the field of secretarial studies, we can leverage our advantages and expertise by combining the knowledge and skills we have acquired from our coursework with our own abilities. Through participation in campus volunteer service activities, we can offer professional skills and services to people in need.
For example, students majoring in secretarial studies can utilize their classroom knowledge of office automation, document writing, and advisory and decision-making skills to assist organizers of campus volunteer activities in planning events and drafting activity notices. Through their dedication in campus volunteer service, students have the opportunity to apply and refine the knowledge and skills they have acquired, thus providing a new pathway for the output of theoretical knowledge in the field of secretarial studies.

A New Path for the Cultivation of Applied Secretarial Talents
Practice is the best way of learning and also the best method to assess the level of theoretical knowledge acquisition. In his reply to college students, General Secretary Xi Jinping repeatedly affirmed the significance of contemporary college youth engaging in volunteer service activities, stating that college students, as the backbone of future national development, should devote themselves to practice and make contributions to grassroots and the people. Students majoring in secretarial studies apply their acquired knowledge to participate in volunteer service activities in universities, achieving the transformation and application of knowledge. They solve problems encountered during volunteer activities while also identifying their own areas for improvement, thereby enhancing their practical skills through practice.
With the development of the times, today's market demands more versatile and highly skilled applied secretarial talents. Not only are they expected to possess a high level of professional knowledge, but they also need to have a certain sensitivity to the latest social trends and technological advancements. In order to meet societal needs and cultivate more secretarial talents who can adapt to the changing times, it is necessary to strengthen the cultivation of practical talents in the field of secretarial studies.The cultivation of practical secretarial talents cannot be achieved without practical teaching in the field. Practical teaching plays a crucial role in the cultivation of secretarial professionals, as it meets the requirements for developing versatile and applied secretarial talents. It is also an indispensable component in nurturing highly qualified and competent secretarial professionals. [5] Volunteer services in universities enrich and enhance the forms of practical education, serving as both an essential component and a specific approach to practical education. Engaging in campus volunteer services allows students to exercise their practical abilities, acquire new skills through various activities, and enables students majoring in secretary studies to gain a better understanding of the latest information in contemporary society. This not only helps cultivate competent secretarial talents to keep pace with the times but also broadens the scope and channels of learning within and beyond the curriculum for students in secretary studies. Moreover, it provides a new direction for the implementation of practical teaching activities for applied secretary talents and offers innovative approaches for the development of students' practical abilities.

New Path for Moral and Ethical Education
"Ideological and political education refers to the deliberate, planned, and organized influence exerted by a society or social group on its members through certain ideological concepts, political perspectives, and moral standards. The aim is to shape their ideological character and moral conduct in accordance with the requirements of a particular society or class through social practical activities." [6] Moral and ethical qualities refer to the intrinsic foundation of an individual's morality. They comprehensively reflect one's level of moral cognition and moral behavior. It encompasses a person's ideological concepts, moral sentiments, as well as their ideal beliefs, moral demeanor, and moral cultivation. Volunteer services in universities are voluntary activities initiated by college students, where they contribute their personal time and energy without seeking material rewards. Students majoring in secretary studies participate in volunteer activities with consciousness and spontaneity. Their involvement is driven by pure motives, actively contributing their personal efforts through practical actions to help others, serve society, and fulfill their personal values. Virtue is the foundation of personal development and nurturing moral character is fundamental to education, which is a key aspect of the continuous progress and development of higher education in our country. Campus volunteer services, as an important vehicle for promoting socialist spiritual civilization, embody the spirit of volunteerism. They are beneficial in helping students majoring in secretary studies enhance their moral cultivation, and they play a promoting role in cultivating the moral and ethical qualities of college students and nurturing a healthy personality.
The essence of volunteer service is to serve society, the country, and the needs of people. University volunteer services can strengthen the sense of social responsibility among students majoring in secretary studies. In the context of the previous epidemic outbreak, the demand for volunteer services on campus increased. To efficiently and effectively fulfill the tasks of campus volunteer activities, volunteers not only need to possess certain abilities but also require a high level of responsibility. When faced with individuals in need of assistance, there is a strong sense of social responsibility that arises. The participation of students majoring in secretary studies in volunteer activities and the successful completion of various tasks demonstrate their self-accountability and responsibility towards society. This participation greatly enhances their sense of responsibility and lays a solid foundation for future work endeavors.
Participating in campus volunteer activities provides a platform that helps students majoring in secretary studies establish the correct outlook on life, values, and worldview through conscious voluntary engagement. Engaging in campus volunteer service activities strengthens their sense of mission to contribute to society and serve the community, as well as their unwavering belief in dedicating themselves to the great cause of the Chinese nation. This, in turn, instills fearlessness and a determination to forge ahead. It enhances students' moral character and fosters a stronger sense of social responsibility.
Youth volunteer activities can inspire college students to engage in self-education and selfimprovement. It is an effective way to carry out moral education for college students in the context of the new era. These activities play a crucial role in the ideological and political education of college students, and they open up new paths for the moral and ethical education of students majoring in secretary studies.
It is of great significance for students majoring in secretary studies to participate in campus volunteer activities during their spare time. By engaging in these activities, secretary studies students can achieve a meaningful exchange of knowledge at a relatively low cost. They can effectively transform their acquired knowledge into their own abilities for output, while also identifying personal shortcomings and continuously improving their capabilities through this output process. Simultaneously, they can enhance their practical skills through practical exercises during these activities, experiencing growth and development over time. Participating in campus volunteer services not only improves the practical abilities of secretary studies students but also enhances their moral and ethical standards, hones their psychological qualities and willpower, allows them to realize their own value, and obtain a sense of fulfillment at a higher emotional level.