For the second year in a row, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
The most recent award recognizes University and community service partnerships during the 2011-2012 academic year.
“Our formal service partnerships have resulted in about 164,000 volunteer hours involving about 28 percent of our student body and 20 percent of our faculty. Beyond service, this represents an economic impact of about $3,100,000 directly to our community,” said Dr. David Yarbrough, dean of community service at UL Lafayette.
“During the reported academic year, big service initiatives such as our very successful UL AmeriCorps program, the Office of Orientation's SOUL Camp, and the service of students in UNIV 100, completed over 34,000 hours of service impacting the lives of both our students and thousands of community members.”
The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, highlights the role colleges and universities play in volunteering, service and solving community problems.
The Corporation for National and Community Service manages the program in collaboration with the United States Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the American Council on Education and Campus Compact.
The thousands of college students from around the nation who supported Gulf Coast relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina sparked it.
“These institutions have inspired students and faculty alike to roll up their sleeves and work alongside members of the community to solve problems and improve their neighbors’ lives,” said Wendy Spencer, chief executive officer of CNCS.
Honorees are chosen based on a range of criteria, 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.
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.
For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov