West Virginia University - News and Information Services
WVU named to national community service honor roll
Students completed 182,000 service hours during 2006-07 academic year
West Virginia University students are not only leaders in the classroom, they are also making a significant difference in their communities.
In fact, when it comes to service and outreach, WVU is among the best schools in the nation.
In recognition of students’ extraordinary contributions, the University was recently named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched by President George W. Bush to honor colleges and universities that support innovative, effective and exemplary community service programs. WVU has received the award both years it has been given.
The 2007 honor roll is based on service during the 2006-07 academic year. During that period, 12,700 WVU students completed 182,000 hours of volunteer service. Translated into dollars, that’s almost $3.3 million worth of services, said Kimberly Colebank, director of WVU’s Center for Civic Engagement.
Nationally, the U.S. Department of Education has found a growing service-learning trend, with more schools offering service activities as part of their curricula. But at WVU, Colebank said helping others isn’t just a trend; it’s been a vital part of the state’s land-grant institution since it was founded.
“As a university, we have institutionalized service learning and civic engagement as a core message to our students,” Colebank said. “It’s not just about sporadic volunteering or paying your dues to society; it’s part of the learning experience at WVU.
“The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll program recognizes WVU is a civic engagement institution, and that’s a huge message to send to prospective students who are looking for an institution that really teaches them about the roles and purposes of higher education,” she added.
In all, 528 schools were listed on the 2007 honor roll. WVU was one of five in West Virginia.
In applying for the award, Colebank highlighted the efforts by the University and its students to serve in communities throughout the state. These efforts include students raising awareness of cancer and mental illness; providing “street rounds,” or medical care to the homeless in Morgantown; and planning multicultural, leadership and service activities to benefit the WVU campus, the community and the state.
WVU-driven outreach projects in previous years have included helping Gulf and Atlantic Coast communities devastated by hurricanes - by enrolling displaced students in classes, assisting with the rebuilding of homes, organizing relief fundraisers, establishing a medical clinic at Camp Dawson and working with other schools to provide online classes for students.
Liz Seale, chief operating officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, praised students at WVU and other schools for representing “a renewed spirit of civic engagement fostered by outstanding leadership on caring campuses.”
“College students are tackling the toughest problems in America, demonstrating their compassion, commitment and creativity by serving as mentors, tutors, health workers and even engineers,” Seale said.
The honor roll is jointly sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, through its Learn and Serve America program, and the Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, Campus Compact and President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
WVU Center for Civic Engagement
WVU, throughout its history, has been committed to community involvement through volunteerism, service-learning and outreach efforts. Established in the 1990s, the Office of Service Learning Programs - now known as the Center for Civic Engagement - centralized this effort and supported WVU students in completing thousands of service hours to external communities.
The center’s mission includes raising campus consciousness of the importance of civic engagement for an educated, democratic citizenry; developing and organizing service-learning and volunteer opportunities for students and faculty; consulting with academic units on implementing civic engagement into curriculum; and assessing civic engagement activities across campus.
For more information, visit the center at its new location - 360 Stansbury Hall on the WVU Downtown Campus - or log onto http://cce.wvu.edu/.
Office: (304) 293-6997