SMC Named to 2010 Presidential Honor Roll

05/25/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Spartanburg Methodist College is among 12 South Carolina colleges named to the 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community. 

The award, administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), is the highest federal honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. 

"Congratulations to SMC for its dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities," said Patrick A. Corvington, Chief Executive Officer of CNCS.  "As members of the class of 2011 cross the stage to pick up their diplomas, more and more will be going into the world with a commitment to public service and the knowledge that they can make a difference through service to others, thanks to the leadership of these institutions."

SMC celebrates its recognition on the Honor Roll as the college celebrates its Centennial. In recognition of its 100 years of service in the Spartanburg Community, SMC held a Centennial Service Challenge this year, inspiring 5,800 hours of service by 42% of the campus community.

"Our place on the honor roll recognizes the commitment that SMC has had for 100 years for service above self. With an enrollment of 800 students, Spartanburg Methodist is one of the smaller colleges in the Upstate. That 42 percent of the SMC community provided more than 5,800 hours of service in our Centennial year speaks volumes about the kind of place that SMC is. We may be small, but our hearts are huge," said President Colleen Perry Keith.

SMC has a strong focus on social awareness and leadership opportunities embedded in the service its students, faculty, and staff provide each year within the community and for the more than 20 agencies the college partners with. The college provides ½ day each year for all employees, with pay, to pursue community service work. Its students are regularly recognized by community organizations with scholarship funding for their community service work.

Examples of service initiatives at SMC include its unique service fraternity Kappa Sigma Alpha, which contributes more than 1,000 service hours each year; participation of its athletic teams in reading programs at local elementary schools; Spring and Fall Break mission trips, during which students travel to communities outside of the Upstate to conduct service projects for a period of several days; Operation Christmas Child, which provides Christmas gifts, including toys, to local children in need; assisting the HALTER program at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind; sponsorship of book drives to provide reading materials in underserved childcare locations;  sponsorship of a softball team and participation in the Carolina Miracle League; and the annual Freshman Day of Service, during which nearly 500 students, faculty and staff provide much needed assistance throughout the community on the first Saturday of the academic year.

As members of the CollegeTown consortium, each of the three colleges from Spartanburg recognized on the Honor Roll, including SMC, Converse College, and Wofford College, also participate in the annual CollegeTown Service Initiative each spring.

About the Honor Roll

A total of 851 institutions applied for the 2010 Honor Roll, a nine percent increase over last year, a sign of the growing interest by colleges and universities in highlighting their efforts to engage students in making a difference in the community. Of these, 511 were named to the Honor Roll, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists, and six received the Presidential Award.

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 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. For a full list of recipients and descriptions of their service, visit www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.

Across the country, millions of college students are engaged in innovative projects to meet local needs, often using the skills learned in classrooms.  In 2009, 3.2 million college students dedicated more than 307 million hours of service to communities across the country, service valued at more than $6.4 billion. 

Last year, CNCS provided more than $215 million in support to institutions of higher education, including grants to operate service programs and the Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for college tuition and student loan repayment.  CNCS is a catalyst for service-learning programs nationwide that connect community service with academic curricula. Through these programs, college students serve their communities while strengthening their academic and civic skills.

Spartanburg Methodist College is in its 100th academic year of providing quality education to students in a Christian environment.  More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.

For more information, please contact Brian Fulkerson, SMC director of public information, at (864) 587-4254.