Five-peat for Keuka

Published May 12, 2011 at 5:39 pm in Points of Pride, Top Story by Doug Lippincott.

Barack Obama and George Bush may differ on many issues, but when it comes to giving out stars for community service, the president and his predecessor agree that Keuka College is most deserving.

For the fifth straight year, Keuka has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

Keuka received the honor with distinction for the second year in a row.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 511 were named to the Honor Roll and 114 garnered Honor Roll with distinction recognition. Keuka was one of just 12 colleges and universities in New York state to earn a spot on the distinction list.

The distinction is an indication that Keuka “displays a strong institutional commitment to service and has formed compelling partnerships that produce measurable results in the community.”

“We are extremely honored to be selected by the president for this very prestigious award,” said Keuka President Joseph G. Burke, “and then to be further recognized with only 12 other New York universities and colleges in the distinction category is a further cause for celebration. Finally, to know that this is the fifth time in a row that we have been so recognized demonstrates the continuous, campus-wide commitment to community service.”

“Congratulations to Keuka College and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “We salute all Honor Roll awardees for embracing their civic mission and providing opportunities for their students to tackle tough national challenges through service.”

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.

CNCS oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education. It is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.