The University has been named to the Presidents Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. CSU Stanislaus was one of 14 CSU campuses selected for the award out of a field of more than 500 colleges and universities that submitted applications.
"California State University, Stanislaus is demonstrating that it is a leader in the area of community service and civic engagement," University President Hamid Shirvani said. "This award is a tribute to the efforts of all members of our University community who work so hard to make a difference in the region."
Leading the way for CSU Stanislaus involvement in the community is the University's Office of Service Learning. The department helps coordinate programs that get students involved in community service activities. More than 50 of the fall semester classes at CSU Stanislaus have a service learning component that enables more than 2,000 students a year to learn through community involvement while also providing about 30,000 volunteer hours of service. Examples of service-oriented programs include a home-based literacy program serving families challenged by poverty and language barriers, a program that helps low-income and migrant workers with their income tax returns, other neighborhood-oriented programs in the region, and a Resource Center in Turlock where the area's homeless learn job-seeking skills and receive housing counseling.
"We are very proud to have faculty at CSU Stanislaus that offer not only a quality education but also the opportunity to use that education to make a difference in the community," said Julie Fox, Service Learning Director. "The university experience expands beyond the lecture hall and takes our students into the community to learn first hand about the challenges faced by a growing and diverse Central Valley. CSU Stanislaus students have the unique opportunity to grow as leaders and engaged citizens as they work hand in hand with the community to forge a better future for themselves and their neighbors."
Launched in 2006, the President's Honor Roll recognizes institutions of higher education that support innovative, effective, and exemplary community service programs. Other co-sponsors of the award include the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, Campus Compact, and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.