California State University, Dominguez Hills has been recognized as one of the top colleges and universities in the nation for its support of volunteerism, service learning and civic engagement. For the second year in a row, the university was selected by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to receive designation to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction.
CNCS, which has administered the honor roll since 2006, looked at 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues including literacy, neighborhood revitalization, and at-risk youth. Of that total, 511 were named to the Honor Roll, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists, and six received the Presidential Award.
President Mildred García says that the university has much to offer in terms of students willing to serve their communities – and much to gain from an educational exchange between CSU Dominguez Hills and agencies that benefit from the service of its students.
“As we believe that community service is an integral part of a college education, we hope to see more of our students become prepared to live and work in a diverse global community through civic engagement,” she says.
This recognition by the White House follows the campus’s classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching earlier this year. Cheryl Mc Knight, director of the Center for Service Learning, Internships, & Civic Engagement, says that the new honor is indicative of the university’s commitment to providing a well-rounded and socially responsible education for students at CSU Dominguez Hills.
“Coming on the heels of our receiving the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement highlights our commitment to community-based research and service to the community,” she says. “As service learning has been shown to be a high-impact practice, these awards show that we are a value-added institution. I am so proud of the spirit of service that runs throughout our campus, making us a model for other colleges and universities. I can only say that Dominguez Hills rocks!”
