President Recognizes Georgetown’s Public Service

May 13, 2011 – Georgetown has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes schools that “reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.”

This is the fifth time the university has made the list.

“Your selection to the Honor Roll is recognition from the highest levels of the federal government of your commitment to service and civic engagement on your campus and in our nation,” reads the May 12 letter announcing the distinctionl.

Reflecting Commitment

“Service to the community rests at the center of our identity as a Catholic and Jesuit university,” said President John J. DeGioia. “I am proud to see that this award reflects our commitment to being women and men for others.”

Georgetown lives out the Catholic, Jesuit ideal of service in its undergraduate, graduate, law and medical schools. The university sponsors more than 100 community service initiatives that involve countless students, faculty, staff and alumni, and range from teaching children to offering pro bono legal services and health care for the medically underserved.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, evaluated a total of 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth.

National Challenges

“As the class of 2011 crosses the stage to pick up their diplomas, more and more will be going into world with a commitment to public service and the knowledge that they can make a difference in their community and their own lives through service to others, thanks to the leadership of these institutions,” said Patrick A. Corvington, chief executive officer of CNCS.  “We salute all the Honor Roll awardees for embracing their civic mission and providing opportunities for their students to tackle tough national challenges through service.”

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) oversees the honor roll in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.

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 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 the Corporation for National and Community Service website.