The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) recently honored Ohio Valley University as a leader among institutions of higher education for their support of volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.
OVU was admitted to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community. They are one of only six universities within the state to receive the honor.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted 766 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 642 were named to the Honor Roll. Campuses named to this year’s Honor Roll reported that nearly one million of their students engaged in service learning and more than 1.6 million participated in other forms of community service, serving more than 105 million hours.
“This recognition provides affirmation of our efforts in the Servant Leadership Pillar of the university’s academic strategic plan,” noted Dr. Jim Bullock, OVU vice president for academic affairs. “The data our Student Success and Career Center teams have collected in the past two years have quantified the community service and civic engagement that our campus community completes each year.
This recognition further builds upon the statewide reputation OVU received in 2008 when it became recipient of the Governor’s Red Wagon Award for exemplary community service. The President’s Honor Roll lifts recognition for OVU to the national level and demonstrates a quality of community service befitting a Tier I university.”
“As members of the class of 2012 cross the stage to pick up their diplomas, more and more will be going into the world with a commitment to public service and the knowledge that they can make a difference in their communities and their own lives through service to others, thanks to the leadership of these institutions,” said Patrick A. Corvington, chief executive officer of CNCS. “Congratulations to Ohio Valley University and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities. 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.”
On campuses across the country, millions of college students are engaged in innovative projects to meet local needs, often using the skills learned in classrooms. Business and law students offer tax preparation and legal services, and college student volunteers provide meals, create parks, rebuild homes after disasters, conduct job training, run senior service programs, and much more.
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, visit www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.
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 www.NationalService.gov.
Chartered in 1958, Ohio Valley University is a residential faith-based Tier I institution with four colleges offering 35 undergraduate degrees and a master of education degree to students from 28 states and 14 nations. To learn more about the university, visit www.ovu.edu.
