UA Receives National Recognition for Community Service

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, one of the highest federal awards a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.

“The Presidential Honor Roll formally recognizes UA’s commitment to teaching students to identify needs within their communities, inspiring students to speak up, and equipping students with the skills to effect change within those communities,” said Stephen Black, director of the UA Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility.

In the 2009-2010 academic year, some 15,100 UA students completed more than 710,000 hours of community service with more than 120 community partners. Additionally, 120 UA faculty members offered service-learning courses, and an estimated 5,300 students participated in them.

The Corporation for National and Community Service honored UA as a leader among institutions of higher education for service and campus-community partnerships that produce results for the community.

The CNCS, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted 641 colleges and universities based on their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 511 were named to the Honor Roll, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists, and six received the Presidential Award.

“Congratulations to The University of Alabama and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick A. Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “We salute all the Honor Roll awardees for embracing their civic mission and providing opportunities for their students to tackle tough national challenges through service.”

CNCS oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service. For a full list of recipients and descriptions of their service, go to  www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.

For more information about service at UA, contact CESR at 205/348-6490, cesr@ua.edu or the UA Community Service Center at 205/348-2865, volunteer@ua.edu.

Created in 2005, the UA Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility established university-wide programming supporting the development of projects that nurture social responsibility and reflective, thoughtful citizenship. CESR staff develop – and assist faculty members in developing – service-learning courses that engage community organizations in partnerships designed to enhance academic goals and apply scholarly learning to community issues. For more information, visit www.cesr.ua.edu.

The mission of the UA Community Service Center is to educate students for service advocacy and leadership, civic responsibility and lifelong volunteerism by increasing awareness of community needs, resources and opportunities for social problem solving. To learn more, go to www.volunteer.ua.edu.