March 16, 2010

WVU Parkersburg named to President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

 

CONTACT:  Anthony Underwood, vice president for Student Services, 304-424-8209.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Virginia University at Parkersburg has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, 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, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice. On campuses across the country, thousands of students joined faculty to develop innovative programs and projects to meet local needs.

“Congratulations to WVU Parkersburg and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Our nation’s students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face.”

The Honor Roll includes six colleges and universities recognized as Presidential Awardees, with an additional 115 named to the Distinction List and 621 schools named as Honor Roll members. 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.

"That so many members of our campus community are willing to devote their valuable time to the needs of others speaks not only to the type of student or professional they are, but to the type of human being they wish to be," noted Anthony Underwood, WVU Parkersburg vice president for student services. 

WVU Parkersburg was recognized for several community service projects, including an oral health project that involved rural school-age students and their parents.  Working with health officials, WVU Parkersburg nursing and education program students provided information and instruction on proper dental care to 656 children and 404 adults. 

Also, 50 WVU Parkersburg education students served as volunteers at the Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club for a total of 1,250 hours of service. Students provided tutoring, mentoring, and helping students with homework. Two faculty members contributed more than 100 hours in organizing the experience, and supervising and evaluating students.

Nationwide, college students make a significant contribution to the volunteer sector.   In 2009, 3.16 million students performed more than 300 million hours of service, according to the Volunteering in America study released by the Corporation. Each year, the Corporation invests more than $150 million in fostering a culture of service on college campuses through grants awarded by its programs. 

The Corporation oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.

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For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Institutional Advancement
(304-424-8203 - Office)
E-mail