Holy Cross Receives National Recognition for Community Service

College named to President’s Honor Roll with Distinction

The College of the Holy Cross has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its strong institutional commitment to service and partnerships that produce measurable results for the community.  Holy Cross is one of only 114 colleges nationwide to receive the honor “with distinction.”

Social justice and community service are long-standing traditions at Holy Cross.  Last year, more than 2,300 students (out of a total population of 2,800) dedicated 122,466 hours to working with community organizations.  Student work in the community ranges from one-time initiatives supporting a fundraising or community event to long-term projects designed to bring major change to streets, schools, and parks.

“Holy Cross students make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of Worcester area residents every year,” said Edward Augustus, director of government and community relations at Holy Cross.  “As a Jesuit institution, service is at the heart of the student experience at Holy Cross and is incorporated into every aspect of life on campus from academics to athletics to co-curricular clubs and organizations.  In return, students come to a greater understanding of themselves and their responsibilities to make a difference in the world.”

Holy Cross students come together into the community through a variety of programs including Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), the College’s 30 year-old community service student organization with more than 700 active student members and 45 program sites, and the Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning, which allows students to extend their learning beyond the classroom and into the community through work with nonprofit, community, and public organizations.  Other opportunities for students to volunteer in the community include programs offered through the athletics department, and local internships with Worcester businesses and agencies.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted a total of 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, six received the Presidential Award; 11 were identified as finalists; 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, including Holy Cross; and another 641 schools were named as Honor Roll members including local schools: Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Clark University, and Mount Wachusett Community College.  This is the fourth time Holy Cross has been named to the Honor Roll, and the second time it has been recognized “with distinction.”

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.

Launched in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes universities and colleges across the nation that encourage and support creative and effective community service and service-learning programs. The Corporation for National and Community Service 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.