Holy Cross Recognized in President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

The College of the Holy Cross has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for 2014 for its steadfast commitment to service and partnerships that better the community. The Honor Roll recognizes the institution’s commitment to service and civic engagement. This is the fifth time Holy Cross has received this recognition.

The dedication of students to social justice and community service at Holy Cross has been a long standing tradition. Last year more than 1,862 students (out of a total population of 2,900) committed 106,966 hours of service to community organizations. Student involvement in projects within the community ranges from one-time initiatives supporting a fundraising or community event to long-term projects designed to bring major change to area streets, schools and parks.

“Our students connect with the community through service learning, volunteerism, and community work study,” says John Anderson, interim director of the Office of Government and Community Relations. “In these roles our students enhance their personal and intellectual growth by forging bonds with members of the community and with one another, which gives them the opportunity to apply academic learning to real human needs.”

Holy Cross students unite and serve their community in a variety of programs. Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD) is the College’s 47-year-old student-run community service organization that has more than 700 participants working at more than 43 program sites, and the Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning encourages students to extend their education 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 athletic department, and local internships with Worcester businesses and agencies.

The criteria for the honorees is based on a series of factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is ingrained in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to forging long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service provided.

Since 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.