The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the U.S. Department of Education today announced that Belmont University was named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. This is the fourth straight year Belmont has been included on the list that annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement.
Tim Stewart, Belmont’s director of service-learning, said, “It is very gratifying to see the good work our students, faculty and staff are doing for and with the community be recognized by the President’s Honor Roll. We’re fortunate to live in a community that provides such great opportunities for our students to learn and to serve.”
A total of 766 higher education institutions were named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, and Belmont was recognized in both the General Community Service category as well as the Education category. The Welcome Week SERVE initiative, Homework Hotline and It’s Bruin Time in the Community were among the countless service activities included in the University’s Honor Roll application this year.
Reflecting Belmont’s continued focus on the “privilege of service,” as reflected in Vision 2020 Guiding Principles, the University also looks to increase involvement in 2015 with the launch of Get Connected, a software platform that will allow students, faculty and staff to become even more connected to the community.
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.
“Service and higher education go hand in hand,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, in a news release. “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.”
