Emory & Henry College has been recognized nationally as a leader among institutions of higher education for their support of volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
In 2010, the Corporation for National and Community Service named Emory & Henry College as a finalist for the 2010 President’s Award, the highest federal recognition for commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. In 2009, Emory & Henry was one of six colleges or universities nationwide to win the award. Making Emory & Henry one of only two institutions to be honored as either a finalist or a winner in two consecutive years since the award was established in 2006.
E&H President Rosalind Reichard said the College’s ongoing national recognition for service reflects the institution’s historic commitment to serving people and communities in its region, a commitment that has strengthened over the years. “A commitment to this region and its people runs deep in our souls,” Reichard said. “You see it in communities from Fries to Meadowview and from Glade Spring to McDowell County in West Virginia.”
The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the award, considered applications from 851 institutions. Of those, 641 were named to the annual President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Of that number, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with Distinction, 11 were identified as finalists, and six received the Presidential Award.
Other institutions honored in 2010 include the following winners of the President’s Award: Augsburg College in Minnesota; California State University in Monterey Bay; Loyola University of Chicago; Rollins College in Florida; San Francisco State University, and St. Mary's University in Texas.
Institutions, in addition to Emory & Henry, that were named finalists include the following: California State University in Fresno; Jackson State University in Mississippi; Kalamazoo College in Michigan; Otterbein University in Ohio; Rhodes College in Tennessee; Saint Mary's College of California; the University of Nebraska at Omaha; the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, the University of Northern Iowa; and Willamette University in Oregon.
“Congratulations to Emory & Henry and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick A. Covington, chief executive officer of the CNCS. “We salute all the Honor Roll awardees for embracing their civic mission and providing opportunities for their students to tackle tough national challenges through service.”
Dr. Tal Stanley, the director of the Appalachian Center for Community Service at Emory & Henry, said that Emory & Henry focuses on service as an educational mission “because it helps to transform students in dramatic and positive ways and ultimately leads to the type of informed and active citizenry that strengthens our nation and our democracy.”
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a strong partner with the nation’s colleges and universities in supporting community service and service-learning. Last year, CNCS provided more than $215 million in support to institutions of higher education, including grants to operate service programs and the Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for college tuition and student loan repayment. CNCS is a catalyst for service-learning programs nationwide that connect community service with academic curricula. Through these programs, in classes, and in extracurricular activities, college students serve their communities while strengthening their academic and civic skills.
National News Magazines Rank E&H Among Top Institutions in Service Learning
Emory & Henry was ranked among the top five colleges and universities in the nation that are most committed to community service, according to a ranking by Newsweek Magazine. A second ranking, by USA Today, listed Emory & Henry among the top 20 institutions nationwide in providing service learning.
The rankings follow on the heels of an announcement made by the Obama administration that Emory & Henry was named one of 11 finalists for the 2010 President’s Award, the highest federal recognition for community service given to a college or university. Last year, Emory & Henry was one of six institutions to win the award.
In addition to these rankings, Washington Monthly, while ranking it among the top 25 liberal arts institutions in the nation, praised the college for its commitment to service.
“We are proud to receive national affirmation of our commitment to service, which is at the foundation of the high-quality academic tradition at Emory & Henry,” said E&H President Rosalind Reichard.
The rankings are validation of the unique E&H approach to service learning, Reichard said.
“At Emory & Henry, service is not merely about addressing needs in the community, but it is about applying our minds and energies to the sources of those needs.”
