BVU Named to Higher Education Service Honor Roll
Buena Vista University has been named to the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This is the sixth year BVU has received the award since 2006.
Buena Vista University has been named to the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This is the sixth year BVU has received the award since 2006.
The Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees were chosen based on a series of selection factors including 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.
“It is an honor to be recognized and awarded the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll designation,” says Dr. Ashley Farmer-Hanson, director of civic engagement at BVU. “Our BVU community commits thousands of hours of service to make Storm Lake and beyond a better place. If it were not for our dedicated campus community and community partners, this would not be possible.” The 2013 award represents service completed in the 2011-12 academic year.
Approximately 950 BVU students, faculty and staff contributed 19,600 hours of service during the 2011-12 academic year, which includes Buenafication Day in April when the BVU community performs service on and off the campus. The service includes projects by individuals and student organizations, such as the BV Buddies in which BVU students mentor Storm Lake Middle School students.
BVU students participating in the spring break Alternative Week of Off-site Learning (AWOL) program last year completed service at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota; the Heifer Ranch in Arkansas; outreach in Chicago, Ill., serving the homeless and working at an after-school program for impoverished kids in the inner city; and Dallas, Texas, working at a facility for children with physical and health challenges.
Other service projects last year included volunteering at The Bridge in Storm Lake, the Glass Slipper Shop, the Global Footprint project, a Day Without Shoes, and Fiesta Latina.
BVU was previously named to the Community Service Honor Roll in 2006, 2008 , 2009 (with distinction), 2010 and 2012. The 2011 year was skipped because of a reorganization of the award program.