Friday, August 31, 2012

Roosevelt Wins Civic Engagement Award

I am delighted to inform you that Roosevelt University’s commitment to service learning and civic engagement was recognized by the Washington Center which selected the University as a recipient of the 2012 Higher Education Civic Engagement Award. Roosevelt is one of five universities or colleges in the country to receive the award from more than 89 schools which competed for the honor. The other winners are California State University San Bernardino, Columbia College in South Carolina, Tulane University and the University of San Francisco.

Professor Steve Meyers and I will accept the award on behalf of Roosevelt University at a luncheon in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 1.

The award provides $20,000 in scholarship funds that will allow Roosevelt students to access the Center’s exceptional internship programs. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars provides selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington for academic credit. The largest program of its kind, the Washington Center has 70 full-time staff and more than 50,000 alumni, many of whom are in leadership positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

The selection committee was impressed with Roosevelt’s dramatic growth in service learning and the community engagement activities spearheaded by the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation. During the past academic year, 1,460 Roosevelt students participated in one of 99 service learning classes. Faculty, students, and community partners have collaborated to address a wide array of social challenges that focus on areas such as urban education, environmental toxins, immigration, homeless youth, literacy and domestic violence.

This award recognizes the importance of service learning at Roosevelt. Congratulations to everyone at the University who has been involved in this great accomplishment.

Chuck Middleton, President