WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains’ dedication to community service has earned it a place on the prestigious 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, university officials have learned.
The recognition, awarded annually by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) since 2006, is given to colleges and universities across the country that set an example in community service and make service learning opportunities a priority for students. This year, 766 higher education institutions were named to the honor roll. It is the first year Missouri State-West Plains has been recognized.
“We are one of very few two-year schools in the country, and the only two-year school in Missouri to achieve this distinction,” Chancellor Drew Bennett said. “When you consider the level of our community service relative to our size, this is a significant accomplishment, equal to some very prestigious institutions. Everyone should be proud of the contributions of Missouri State University-West Plains and the benefits gained by both our community and our students.”
To receive the recognition, colleges and universities must detail their commitment to community service by demonstrating how it is incorporated into the institutional culture. Institutions are evaluated on such factors as the scope and innovation of projects, level of student participation, incentives for serving, and the variety of service-learning opportunities provided, as well as the impact on the community.
University officials pointed to the campus’ recent Operation 50K initiative, the community service component of the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program, and the Faculty Senate’s service learning committee as some of the examples of how community service has become an integral part of the educational process.
• Operation 50K: In honor of the campus’ 50th anniversary in 2013, students, faculty and staff embarked on a year-long community service initiative during which over 50,000 hours were volunteered toward a variety of projects in the area in support of such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, the National Parks Service, Court Appointed Special Advocates, West Plains Boys and Girls Club, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks and the American Red Cross, to name a few. A total of 56,531 hours of community service worth $423,982, when calculated at Missouri’s minimum wage rate, was contributed by faculty, staff, students, alumni and others with ties to the university from commencement 2013 to commencement 2014.
• Darr Honors Program: Students enrolled in the program are required to complete at least 32 hours of “meaningful community service” as part of the program’s Bridging Cultures Experience. Although students may volunteer with any organization, program or project, they must serve in a capacity that brings them into contact with the people who are being helped.
• Faculty Senate Service Learning Committee: Committee members are actively looking for ways to incorporate service learning opportunities in a variety of classes. Opportunities are already well established for many child and family development classes, and plans are in place for implementing opportunities in agriculture and entrepreneurship classes.
“Consideration for the award required extensive narrative and data, but it gave us the opportunity to present a compelling case of the comprehensiveness and integrity of our academic programs and the fabulous work by the entire campus community and our alumni and supporters in Operation 50K,” Bennett said. “We are honored to be recognized at this national executive level.”
Inspired by thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community challenges. As a result, more students are likely to pursue a lifelong path of civic engagement that achieves meaningful and measurable outcomes in their communities.
College students make a significant contribution to their communities through volunteering and service, according to the most recent Volunteering and Civic Life in America report. In 2012, 3.1 million college students dedicated more than 118 million hours of service across the country – a contribution valued at $2.5 billion.
Established in 1993, the CNCS is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs – Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund – and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. As the nation’s largest grantmaker for service and volunteering, CNCS plays a critical role in strengthening America’s nonprofit sector and addressing our nation’s challenges through service.