AACC Selected Third Time to Presidential Honor Roll

      Anne Arundel Community College for a third consecutive year was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its exemplary service to the community.

      Selected for the honor by the Corporation for National and Community Service, AACC was one of two community colleges in Maryland and one of eight schools in the state named to the 2008 honor roll. In all, 635 two- and four-year schools nationwide received the honor announced Feb. 9.

      “Meeting community needs is a key part of our college mission,” said AACC President Martha A. Smith, Ph.D. “Our Center for Learning through Service works with our faculty and nonprofit groups and organizations to create academic-based and independent opportunities for students to perform service-learning. This award is a salute to our students, our faculty, the center and our community partners. AACC is truly the community’s college.”

      Launched in 2006, the honor roll recognizes colleges and universities that support effective and innovative community service and service-learning. Honor roll sponsors are the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation and the U.S. Department of Education and Housing and Urban Development.

      AACC’s academic-based service-learning initiatives involved 816 students for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008. The Center for Learning through Service, which is part of the AACC Paul S. Sarbanes Center for Public and Community Service, reports 936 students overall were involved in community service during that period and contributed 14,678 hours of service to the community. Since 2001, the center’s volunteers have contributed hours of service to the community valued at $ 1.5 million.

      Service-learning students engage in community-based activities to enhance classroom learning. For example, a “Business Statistics” class of 18 online students and their faculty member worked with Food Link Inc., an emergency food program, to analyze county housing statistics for use on the organization’s Web site and in grant applications. Students researched housing costs, median income level, average wages and food expenses for an average family.

      The center also hosts a variety of community service initiatives, such as a Global Giving Market / Alternative Gift Market. The annual gift market was conducted by 152 students enrolled in marketing, business and Entrepreneurial Studies classes plus 14 faculty and staff members. Sales for the one-day event, which benefit artisans in developing countries, totaled more than $8,000.

      “In this time of economic distress, we need volunteers more than ever,” said Stephen Goldsmith, vice chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service board of directors. “We salute Anne Arundel Community College for making community service a campus priority and thank the millions of college students who are helping to renew America through service to others.”

      Maryland honor roll recipients are AACC, Goucher College, Howard Community College, Loyola College in Maryland, Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, Towson University, University of Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park. For honor roll information, visit www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll or call the AACC Center for Learning through Service at 410-777-2366.