Kean University Earns Place on President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for Fifth Straight Time

UNION, N.J. – For the fifth-straight award period, Kean University has been named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This designation by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement resulting in meaningful outcomes in their communities.

“Being named to the prestigious President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the fifth time is a direct result of this University’s unwavering institutional commitment to service and volunteerism—from our Board of Trustees to our students,” said Kean University President Dr. Dawood Farahi. “Service to others is not only embedded into the curriculum at Kean, it is a part of our campus culture—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The 2014 Honor Roll covers the 12-month period ending June 30, 2013. “During that time, Kean students engaged in nearly 34,000 hours of community service, approximately half of which took place in the community within 5 miles of our campus,” said Scott Snowden, Director of Kean’s Center for Leadership and Service (CLS). “Through partnerships with Union County Parks, the City of Elizabeth and its public schools, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside, and many other government and non-profit agencies, we provide our students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful service that has a direct impact on the surrounding community.”

The Center oversees and coordinates a number of service projects throughout the year including, in 2012-2013, the 9/11 and MLK National Days of Service, Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, National Volunteer Week, regular blood drives, environmental cleanups, Hurricane Sandy relief projects and multiple charitable fundraising and collection efforts.

“Organizing these volunteer opportunities into defined areas of social concern encourages Kean students to move from understanding the issues, to creating an impact,” said Janice Murray-Laury, Vice President for Student Affairs at Kean.

In addition to opportunities provided through the CLS, service hours were completed by students in Athletics, Greek Life, Student Organization, Be the Change and other student and administrative groups on campus. A significant number of hours were also volunteered through Jumpstart, a national early education organization working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed.

“Forty one students participate on a regular basis throughout the academic year as well as into the summer months,” said Mary Duggan, Jumpstart Site Manager. “Jumpstart volunteers aim to complete more than 300 hours of service each, primarily focused on in-classroom service. The Jumpstart program at Kean has a direct impact on 105 preschoolers in the city of Elizabeth, spanning 14 separate classrooms, resulting in 10,043 hours of service rendered to two elementary schools in the neighboring city from June 2012 to June 2013.”

Kean joins 765 other U.S. colleges and universities included on the 2014 list of honorees that were recognized for their work in one of four categories – General Community Service, Interfaith Community Service, Economic Opportunity and Education. Kean was recognized for its efforts in education. Kean was named to two of the four categories – General Community Service and the new Education Honor Roll which began this year.

“Congratulations to Kean University, its faculty and students for its commitment to service, both in and out of the classroom,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “Through its work, institutions of higher education are helping improve their local communities and to create a new generation of leaders by challenging students to go beyond the traditional college experience and solve local challenges.”

CNCS, the federal agency for volunteering and service, has administered the award since 2006 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, Campus Compact, and the Interfaith Youth Core.

More information about the Kean University’s community service efforts is available at the Center for Leadership & Service website at www.kean.edu/offices/cls. More information on eligibility and the full list of Honor Roll awardees can be found at www.nationalservice.gov.

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Founded in 1855, Kean University has become one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher education in the region, boasting a richly diverse student, faculty and staff population. Kean continues to play a key role in the training of teachers and is a hub of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving nearly 15,000 students. The Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers three doctorate degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master’s degrees, professional diplomas or certifications. The University’s five undergraduate colleges offer 50 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic subjects. With campuses in Union and Toms River, NJ, and Wenzhou, China, Kean University provides a world-class education. Visit Kean online at www.kean.edu.

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The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll honors the nation’s leading higher education institutions and their students, faculty and staff for their commitment to bettering their communities through service. These are institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, the Social Innovation Fund and other programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.