Buena Vista University Named to Higher Education Service Honor Roll
BVU has been named to the 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The distinction is the highest federal recognition that colleges and universities can receive for civic engagement.
Buena Vista University has been named to the 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. BVU earned honor roll with distinction in the General Community Service category and honor roll designation in the new categories of Education and Interfaith Community Service.
The President's Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions whose community service efforts achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. This distinction is the highest federal recognition that colleges and universities can receive for community service, service-learning, and civic engagement.
"BVU's foundation is built on our motto of Education for Service. Earning this honor would not be possible without the dedication of our entire campus community, the community partners we work with and Storm Lake," said Dr. Ashley Farmer-Hanson, assistant dean for student life and director of civic engagement. "Our students are encouraged, supported and mentored by wonderful faculty, staff and community partners who teach them lifelong skills through service. The experiential learning opportunities that happen through service are one of a kind and something that we are so grateful for."
The 2014 award represents service completed in the 2013-14 academic year. During that time, approximately 900 BVU students, faculty and staff contributed 37,000 hours of service, which includes Buenafication Day in April when the BVU community performs service on and off the campus. The service hours also include projects by individuals and student organizations, such as the BV Buddies in which BVU students mentor Storm Lake Middle School students and volunteering at The Bridge in Storm Lake, the Glass Slipper Shop, a Day Without Shoes and Fiesta Latina.
BVU students participating in the spring break Alternative Week of Off-site Learning (AWOL) program last year completed service focused on children and poverty in Montego Bay, Jamaica; disaster relief and clean-up efforts in Greeley, Colorado; environmental research and animal rescue in Costa Rica; and hunger and health outreach in Staten Island, New York.
BVU was previously named to the Community Service Honor Roll in 2006, 2008, 2009 (with distinction), 2010, 2012 and 2013. Awards were not given in 2011 due to a reorganization of the award program.
Buena Vista University is also one of only 361 institutions that hold the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation, which recognizes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually-beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.