UMass Dartmouth in the top 20 colleges nationwide for service; UMass Dartmouth only top honoree in Mass., among two in New England; Students performed 192,000+ hours of community service and volunteerism last year
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has again been named as one of the nation's elite universities -- and the only one in Massachusetts -- for its support of community service, service-learning and civic engagement by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the US Department of Education.
UMass Dartmouth was honored as one of 14 Presidential Award Finalists, out of 690 educational institutions on the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Only five institutions ranked higher across the country, out of 4500 colleges and universities nationwide.
This is UMass Dartmouth's second year in the top tier - one of just two institutions of higher education to remain from last year's list.
"This honor reflects the commitment of our campus community to giving back to the SouthCoast, the country and the world," UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman said. "Our students, staff and faculty are among the best in the country, and I applaud each and every one of them for demonstrating the values that make UMass Dartmouth a national leader in civic engagement."
CNCS has administered the Honor Roll since 2006 to recognize the strong commitment of colleges and universities to service-learning and campus-community partnerships that produce real results in areas ranging from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth.
"I'm proud that our students, staff and faculty have stepped up to work directly with our communities across southeastern Massachusetts," said Dr. Matthew Roy, Director of the University's Leduc Center for Civic Engagement. "This honor shows how successful we've been in making service-learning an integral part of the educational experience at UMass Dartmouth."
Since 2007 when the University embarked on a strategic planning goal that every student would be exposed to service-learning, the number of UMass Dartmouth students, staff and faculty taking part in service-learning has skyrocketed by over 500%.
Currently, there are 118 faculty members teaching 160 class sections that fully integrate service into the academic curriculum.
Last year, nearly two out of three graduating seniors gave back to the community through academic based community service -- up from just 27% three years before.
The Colleges of Nursing, Engineering and Visual and Performing Arts are projected to have 100% of their 2013 class graduate with at least one service-learning experience.
For the full release, go to: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/initiatives/honorroll.asp.
More about the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement
The Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, which leads the University's service-learning and community service efforts, also manages SouthCoast Serves, a collaborative of dozens of service-oriented organizations across the region. The Center is also the lead organizer of the region's annual Civic Engagement Summit, which brings civic, business, and educational leaders together to forge partnerships to address social issues.
More about UMass Dartmouth
UMass Dartmouth has invested tens of millions of dollars in major facilities in New Bedford to strengthen the social and economic fabric of southeastern Massachusetts. These include the School for Marine Science and Technology and the College of Visual and Performing Arts in New Bedford, and the Advanced Technology Manufacturing Center, a continuing education center, and the upcoming Biomanufacturing Center in Fall River. The University is also a major partner in the downtown New Bedford Ocean Explorium, which is designed to excite young people about science.
More about CNCS
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Barack Obama ' s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.