KU News Release

KU earns spot on President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

LAWRENCE — Close to 7,000 University of Kansas students donated their time to community service projects during the 2005-06 academic year, earning the university a spot on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

The honor roll, created by the Corporation for National and Community Service to increase awareness of the civic engagement mission of institutions of higher education, focuses on general community service efforts and those related specifically to Hurricane Katrina relief.

According to data compiled by KU’s Center for Service Learning, approximately 6,937 KU students participated in community service projects during the past academic year. More than half of those students contributed 20 hours or more to the projects. More than 600 students contributed more than 20,000 hours to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. KU students and staff also donated close to $55,000 to the relief efforts.

“I was very impressed and overwhelmed by the number of KU students who volunteered last year in such creative and important ways,” said Cara Burnidge of the Center for Service Learning.

The honor roll application highlighted projects such as student athletes’ 2006 in 2006 campaign to positively impact the lives of 2006 Lawrence residents and the Rock Chalk Revue, an annual variety show benefiting the Douglas County United Way. The application also emphasized Hurricane Katrina relief projects such as a community tool shed in New Orleans built by KU architecture students and a benefit concert hosted by the Department of Music and Dance.

For more information regarding the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, visit the Corporation for National and Community Service Web site.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.