For the seventh straight year, SUNY College at Old Westbury has been named to the President’s Community Service Honor Roll, which honors institutions of higher education for their community service programs.
Old Westbury officials said the school was recognized for its First Year Student Engagement program, in which students are required to complete 50 hours of community service with regional non-profits or on-campus organizations.
“As part of our mission, we believe in integrating the classroom and the community,” said Calvin O. Butts, III, president of SUNY College at Old Westbury. “By receiving this award, we are inspired to continue our commitment to service-learning and lifelong civic engagement.”
The honor roll is compiled each year by the Corporation for National and Community Service in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the American Council on Education, Campus Contact, a coalition comprised of more than 1,100 college presidents; and the Interfaith Youth Core.
Schools are selected for the honor roll based on a series of factors, most notably the measurable impact of a service program on an institution’s curriculum and community, according to the program’s website.
School officials said Old Westbury students completed 16,000 hours of community service in the last year.
“Participating in community service is an important part of any college experience, and a hallmark of a strategic plan,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Each of our SUNY campuses has an astounding array of options for students as well as faculty and staff to give back to their local communities, and to have a greater impact on communities across the country and abroad.”
