CNCS Joins HUD for Official Honor Roll Kick-Off

Washington, D.C. – As part of the official kick-off for the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the Corporation for National and Community Service joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for discussion on the role that institutions of higher education play in stimulating local economies.

Titled “Evidence of Success: Institutions of Higher Education Engaging Communities,” the discussion was held on Thursday by HUD’s Office of University Partnerships (OUP) and the Office of Policy Development and Research as part of the OUP Empowerment Series.

“Colleges take seriously their missions to educate future leaders and active duty citizens – and the Honor Roll is a powerful tool to recognize that work,” said Robert Velasco, II, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “CNCS is proud to be a strong partner with the nation's colleges and universities in supporting community service and service-learning.”

The panel also included Jean Lin Pao HUD General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Maureen Curley, President of Campus Compact, Dr. Steve Nivin, Director of St. Mary’s University, Dr. Casey Crabill, President of Raritan Valley College, Dr. Dianne Harrison, President of the California State University - Monterey Bay and Dr. Seth Pollack, Director of the Service Learning Institute at California State University - Monterey Bay.

Additionally, CSU-Monterey Bay and St. Mary College, based in San Antonio, both Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) grantees, discussed their efforts to provide opportunities for underrepresented Americans to gain the skills needed to compete in a global economy and participate as active members in their community.

All three schools recently received the President's Higher Education Community Service award as part of CNCS’s 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This honor roll is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to community service. Of more than 850 applications, only 6 were chosen for recognition.

The application for the Honor Roll can be accessed at http://myproject.nationalservice.gov/honorroll/. All higher education institutions are welcome to apply and the application deadline is December 9, 2011. The winners will be announced on March 12, 2012 at the American Council on Education (ACE) Conference in Los Angeles.

CNCS 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. 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. To learn more about the Honor Roll and to apply, visit www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.

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