Community Service Honor Roll

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) was announced that Denison University has earned a place on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This designation recognizes a college or university for its commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement. Denison University students are passionate about service to the local Licking County community,” says Lyn Robertson ‘70, professor of education and women’s studies, and director of the John W. Alford Center for Service-Learning at Denison. During the 2011-12 academic year, 1,698 students contributed 34,820 hours of service to the local community. This number represents more than 75 percent of the Denison University student body. Almost one-third of the student body completed at least 20 hours of service in the community in each semester. Robertson notes, “One example of such service was completed in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program (BB/BS). Denison has for many years contributed the largest number of ‘bigs’ in our two-county area. BB/BS is a particular focus of Morrow House, a service residence hall for first-year students. Last year, 124 students spent 4,038 hours mentoring children ages 6 to 15.” “Communities are strengthened when we all come together, and we are encouraged that these institutions and their students have made service a priority,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Civic engagement should be a key component of every student’s education experience. Through reaching out to meet the needs of their neighbors, these students are deepening their impact, strengthening our democracy and ultimately preparing themselves to be successful citizens.”