Fredonia is one of just three SUNY campuses to be named "With Distinction" to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes colleges and universities who achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes in the communities they serve and show a clear commitment to community service and service learning. Another 17 SUNY campuses were named to the general honor roll.
“Participating in community service is an important part of any college experience, and a hallmark of our strategic plan,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “Each of our SUNY campuses has an astounding array of options for students as well as faculty and staff to give back to their local communities, and to have a greater impact on communities across the country and abroad. Congratulations and thank you to each of the campuses recognized by the President’s Honor Roll this year.”
Participation in community service activities and specifically, being named to the Honor Roll, is one of the metrics SUNY uses to measure its success toward one of the Big Ideas in its strategic plan: SUNY and the Vibrant Community. With five more campuses named to the Honor Roll in 2014 over 2013, SUNY continues to move the dial on this important benchmark.
Fredonia joined Cortland and Oswego on the Honor Roll with distinction, while the following other SUNY campuses were also recognized: University at Albany, Alfred State, Binghamton University, Buffalo State, Cobleskill, Delhi, Downstate Medical University, Environmental Science and Forestry, Fashion Institute of Technology, Geneseo, Monroe Community College, Morrisville, Old Westbury, Onondaga Community College, Oneonta, Plattsburgh and Stony Brook University.
Inspired by the 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. CNCS, the federal agency for volunteering and service, has administered the award since 2006 in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education, Campus Compact, and the Interfaith Youth Core.
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.
“Service and higher education go hand in hand,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “These schools are inspiring young leaders to roll up their sleeves and work alongside community members to solve problems. By recognizing the institutions who are leading the way to achieve meaningful, measurable results for the communities they serve, we also highlight the vital role all colleges and universities play in addressing community challenges and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement.”
