[464] MTSU Receives National Recognition for Community Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Andrew Oppmann
May 17, 2011 615-494-7800 or aoppmann@mtsu.edu

MTSU Receives National Recognition for Community Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Middle Tennessee State University has been admitted to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging in service that achieved measurable results in the community.
The honor by the Corporation for National and Community Service, or CNCS, recognizes MTSU as a leader among institutions of higher education for its support of volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.
During the last academic year, more than 3,200 MTSU students logged more than 160,000 hours with 2,900 community projects. This translated to more than $1.2 million in economic impact to the Middle Tennessee area. Those projects include:
• the Neighborhood Network Learning Center in Murfreesboro, a stimulating learning setting created by MTSU students to enhance literacy for low-income children and their parents. Twenty-five families with children ranging in age from newborn to 5 years old benefited from this project, which continues to enhance literacy and other communication skills for the children, their parents and grandparents; and
• volunteering with local health care social agencies, working with children with disabilities, tutoring and encouraging middle-school girls in math and science and raising $50,000 for Habitat for Humanity – and building a house.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee credited the commitment by the entire University community for creating a culture that values public service and outreach.
“Our University is a tremendous resource for middle Tennessee and the entire state,” McPhee said. “I am pleased that the hard work by our students, faculty and staff has been recognized with this outstanding honor.”
Patrick A. Corvington, chief executive officer of CNCS, congratulated MTSU and its students “for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities.
“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,” Corvington added.
CNCS oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.
Honorees are chosen based on a series of 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.
For a full list of honorees and descriptions of their service, visit www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.
The CNCS is a Washington, D.C.-based federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs. It leads President Barack Obama’s national call-to-service initiative, United We Serve. For more information about its programs, visit www.NationalService.gov.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year—kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.


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