KU News Release

KU earns third mention on community service honor roll

LAWRENCE —For the third consecutive year, the University of Kansas was placed on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for innovative and effective service learning programs and community service.

Those selected by the Corporation for National and Community Service for the 2007-08 honor roll were chosen based on a series of selection factors: scope and innovativeness 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.

“The University of Kansas is pleased to be recognized on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll,” said Chancellor Robert Hemenway. “This award recognizes the meaningful work being done in and beyond classes throughout our university — work done by students, faculty and staff to create partnerships that address community needs and enhance education. I am proud to have our students and colleagues commended in this way.”

The honor roll application highlights some of the valuable service work completed by students during the 2007-08 school year. More than 5,700 KU students participated in community service, with approximately 2,700 students participating in academic service learning. Together, the students completed more than 230,000 hours of service to Kansas and throughout the United States, more than doubling the number of service hours from last year.

Programs across campus support and advance student service learning and community service, such as the Center for Service Learning, the Center for Community Outreach, Alternative Breaks, Ecumenical Christian Ministries, the University Honors Program and fraternities and sororities.

Some of the service activities highlighted in this year’s application were the Center for Community Outreach’s Into the Streets Week, which highlights student volunteer activities; Rock Chalk Revue, a student-run variety show that raised $38,000 for the United Way of Douglas County; a brochure, compiled by students in a service learning class and adopted by the IRS, containing tax information to help tornado victims in Greensburg receive tax refunds; and a capstone architecture course, Studio 804, in which a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified arts center was built in Greensburg on the first anniversary of the tornado that devastated the town.

“In this time of economic distress, we need volunteers more than ever. College students represent an enormous pool of idealism and energy to help tackle some of our toughest challenges,” said Nicola Goren, acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “We salute these universities for making community service a campus priority, and thank the millions of college students who are helping to renew America through service to others.”

The honor roll is sponsored by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation and the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development.

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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.