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Four Universities Earn National Honor

BATON ROUGE – A survey of the University of Çàɬֱ²¥ System’s nine universities reveals one out of every four students and employees volunteered during 2011-12.  Over 25,000 students and 1,900 faculty and staff logged over 564,000 volunteer hours.  These stats contributed to four universities earning national recognition for service. 

“Service-learning is strong in the University of Çàɬֱ²¥ System as evidenced by these survey results.  It is important that our students not only gain classroom knowledge, but that they also learn the value of giving to their communities,” said Çàɬֱ²¥System President Sandra Woodley.

The survey was developed by the Çàɬֱ²¥System Service-Learning Council, comprised of faculty and staff members from each of the nine member campuses, and administered by each university.  Below are selected survey results listed by campus:

• Grambling State University: 4,931 students and 251 employees logged 103,640 hours
• Çàɬֱ²¥ Tech University: 4,594 students and 149 employees logged 44,705 hours
• McNeese State University: 2,593 students and 353 employees logged 72,429 hours
• Nicholls State University: 869 students and 140 employees logged 13,633 hours
• Northwestern State University: 2,173 students and 260 employees logged 57,324 hours
• Southeastern Çàɬֱ²¥ University: 2,997 students and 447 employees logged 45,389 hours
• University of Çàɬֱ²¥ at Lafayette: 4,860 students and 117 employees logged 163,089 hours
• University of Çàɬֱ²¥ at Monroe: 779 students and 115 employees logged 33,339 hours
• University of New Orleans: 1,635 students and 66 employees logged 30,498 hours

“We know this survey does not capture everything that is going on in the Çàɬֱ²¥System, but it is a starting point.  Plans are to administer the survey annually so that it can track changes and help grow programs system-wide,” said Service-Learning Council Chair and Çàɬֱ²¥Lafayette Dean of Community Service David Yarbrough. 

In addition to capturing statistics, the survey gathers project descriptions to aid in applications for grants and recognition programs like the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Grambling, Çàɬֱ²¥ Tech, Southeastern, and Çàɬֱ²¥Lafayette were all named to the honor roll this year.  This national recognition program began in 2006 and is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education and Campus Compact.

Çàɬֱ²¥ Tech has made the honor roll six consecutive years: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.  This is Grambling’s third time, earning honor roll status in 2009, 2012 and 2013.  Southeastern has been recognized three consecutive years, 2011, 2012 and 2013.  Çàɬֱ²¥Lafayette had back-to-back honors, earning the distinction in 2012 and 2013.  Though not an honoree this year, Nicholls has made the honor roll four times.

The Çàɬֱ²¥System received a $1.2 million grant from CNCS’ Learn and Serve America division that funded 80 service-learning programs from 2006 through 2010.  The Çàɬֱ²¥System is currently administering a $30,000 grant from Keep Çàɬֱ²¥ Beautiful that funded recycling awareness projects on all nine campuses in the fall and will fund campus/community litter abatement projects this spring as part of the Great America Cleanup.

For more information about service-learning initiatives visit www.ulsystem.edu/service. 

-ULS-

ABOUT THE Çàɬֱ²¥SYSTEM: The University of Çàɬֱ²¥ System is the largest higher education system in Çàɬֱ²¥ enrolling over 92,000 students at Grambling State University, Çàɬֱ²¥ Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Çàɬֱ²¥ University, the University of Çàɬֱ²¥ at Lafayette, the University of Çàɬֱ²¥ at Monroe, and the University of New Orleans.