For the fourth straight year, the Corporation for National and Community Service has recognized Ithaca College with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Launched in 2006, the honor roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service learning and civic engagement.
“Congratulations to Ithaca College 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. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service.”
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.
“When I speak with alumni and other friends of the college around the country, I usually list this honor among the things about IC that I am most proud of,” said President Tom Rochon. “I am especially proud that we were on the first honor roll that was released in 2006 and have been on it every year since. Our commitment to community service is as consistent as it is deep.”
According to Deb Mohlenhoff, assistant director of community service and leadership development, over 700 students contributed to an impressive 48,911 hours of service this past year in order to be named to the honor roll.
“Over 2,000 of these hours can be attributed to service learning, a practice where students engage in community service as an integral part of academic learning outcomes,” said Mohlenhoff. “Our standout programs for 2009 included ‘Focus on the Future,’ a photography mentorship program between IC students and middle schoolers from Spencer-Van Etten; Community Plunge, which provides incoming freshmen with a unique pre-semester service opportunity; and the Relay for Life, which engages our students in advocacy and philanthropy for the American Cancer Society.”
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20100308124431294