OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has been named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the second consecutive year in recognition of its service-learning and volunteer efforts in the Oxford-Lafayette County community and beyond.
The commendation recognizes that the university continues to display an institutional commitment to service, led by Chancellor Dan Jones, who has stressed “transformation through service” since becoming chancellor in July 2009. Presented by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the honor roll recognizes institutions of higher learning for engaging students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in their communities.
“We applaud the work of our students, faculty and staff who engaged in more than 450,000 hours of community service last year,” Jones said.
The efforts include several large projects to benefit specific causes. In February 2011, for example, hundreds of Ole Miss and community volunteers packed more than 140,000 meals for Feed the Hunger, an organization that assists underprivileged children in Africa. Earlier this year, volunteers gathered again to continue the annual service project.
In December 2011, officers of the university’s Associated Student Body helped the Water Valley High School student council with a landscaping project aimed at beautifying their school’s entrance.
And this weekend, more than 3,000 Ole Miss students have signed up for the Big Event, an annual campuswide day of service for the Oxford-Lafayette County community. Students will help paint homes, clean out garages, assist with needs in retirement communities, prep a community garden and help businesses organize their storerooms. Organizers say the event is the largest student-driven day of service in Mississippi.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted 642 colleges and universities for their impact on issues ranging from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 513 were named to the Honor Roll, 110 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 14 were identified as finalists and five received the Presidential Award.
“Through service, these institutions are creating the next generation of leaders by challenging students to tackle tough issues and create positive impacts in the community,” said Robert Velasco, acting CEO of CNCS. “We applaud the Honor Roll schools, their faculty and students for their commitment to make service a priority in and out of the classroom. Together, service and learning increase civic engagement while fostering social innovation among students, empowering them to solve challenges within their communities.”
Eduardo Ochoa, the U.S. Department of Education’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education, said Honor Roll schools should be proud of their work to elevate the role of service-learning on their campuses.
“Galvanizing their students to become involved in projects that address pressing concerns and enrich their academic experience has a lasting impact – both in the communities in which they work and on their own sense of purpose as citizens of the world,” Ochoa said. “I hope we’ll see more and more colleges and universities following their lead.”
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 from the service.
For a full list of recipients and more information about the program, go to http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/initiatives/honorroll.asp.