Emmanuel Honored by Corporation for National and Community Service
May 17, 2011
Emmanuel College was named to the 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, marking the second consecutive year the College received the honor. Emmanuel was one of just seven Massachusetts colleges/universities to earn the award.
The President's Honor Roll increases the public's awareness of the contributions that colleges and their students make to local communities and the nation as a whole. It is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized a total of 641 colleges and universities across the country for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 511 were named to the Honor Roll, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists and six received the Presidential Award.
"As members of the class of 2011 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 these schools and their 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."
"This honor is a testament to our students and their strong dedication to serving others," added Emmanuel College President Sister Janet Eisner, SND. "At the core of Emmanuel College and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur is a commitment to social justice and service to the community. Our students find ways to live their values through service programs as they volunteer time to organizations locally, nationally and globally. They are active in spiritual retreats, Liturgical celebrations and gospel reflection through our Campus Ministry programs, and engage in discussions of contemporary theological and social justice issues with Sisters of Notre Dame from around the world through our Center for Mission and Spirituality."
Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. Throughout the 2009-2010 academic year, Emmanuel students completed 35,165 service hours. These hours included volunteer activities such as New Student Day of Service, America Reads, the Sunday Service Group, toy drives, community clean-ups and Alternative Spring Break.
The Corporation for National and Community Service oversees the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education. The Corporation for National and Community Service 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 Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.
