For release: June 9, 2011
For press information, contact Gabrielle Maxey, 901/678-2843

The University of Memphis has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Honor Roll recognizes colleges and universities that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. The U of M has been honored every year since the program’s inception in 2006.

David Cox, executive assistant to U of M Pres. Shirley Raines, said, “Continued recognition by the President’s Community Service Honor Roll, and as one of the few universities in the United States to receive both of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s designations for engagement – Curricular Engagement for teaching and scholarship and Outreach Partnerships for application of university resources for community benefit – places the University of Memphis among the nation’s leading metropolitan universities.”

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the number of academic service-learning courses offered by the school.

Colleges can apply in two categories – general community service and special focus areas designated by the Honor Roll committee. Special focus areas for the 2010 Honor Roll included community service to improve educational outcomes for students in the most distressed areas.   

During the 2009 academic year, U of M students participated in a variety of service projects, including the South Memphis Revitalization Action Plan and the School of Public Health Influenza Vaccine Drive-thru Clinic. Emerging Leaders scholars volunteered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Transition School.

U of M summer education programs were highlighted for work with area youth, including Chinese Immersion Camp, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) summer programs, and Memphis City Schools programs for improving math skills, exploring the African-American heritage, and developing skills for Advanced Placement instruction.

More than 3,300 U of M students engaged in more than 20 hours of community service per semester. The University is also recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships.