US: UMass Dartmouth in the top 1% of colleges nationwide for service; UMass Dartmouth only top honoree in Mass., among two in New England; Students, staff and faculty performed 175,000+ hours of service last year
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has been named as one of the nation's elite universities -- and the only in Massachusetts -- for its support of volunteering, 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 Honor Roll Finalists, out of 642 educational institutions on the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Only five institutions ranked higher across the country, out of 4500 colleges and universities nationwide.
"We are honored that our campus has earned this national recognition for our engagement in the community," UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack said. "Our students, faculty, and staff are distinguished by their willingness to invest their all for the good of the SouthCoast and the entire state. We know that the experiences our students have in the community are a valuable source of learning and discovery that prepares them for life beyond the University."
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 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 the Center for Civic Engagement was opened in 2008, the number of UMass Dartmouth students, staff and faculty taking part in service-learning has skyrocketed by nearly 500%.
Currently, nearly 100 faculty members teach almost 150 classes that fully integrate service into the academic curriculum.
Last year, nearly 66% of graduating seniors gave back to the community through service -- up from just 27% two years before.
The Colleges of Nursing, Engineering and Visual and Performing Arts are projected to have 100% of their 2012 class graduate with service-learning experience.
For the full release, go to: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/initiatives/honorroll.asp.
More about the Center for Civic Engagement
The University's 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.