OSU earns two presidential honor roll designations

Monday, October 17, 2016

 Oklahoma State University has earned a listing in two categories of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes institutions of higher education for their active work among communities.

OSU was the only institution of higher learning in the state to be added to the president’s economic opportunity honor roll, and one of seven in the state selected for the general category.

“We are very pleased to be recognized for community service work that gives students, faculty and staff an opportunity to use their expertise and volunteer spirit to help make life better for others,” said OSU President Burns Hargis.

The honor roll’s economic opportunity category recognizes institutions with service programs that build economic independence, increase family stability and create more sustainable communities. The general category honors institutions that support community service programs and raise the visibility of campus community partnerships.

Specifically, honorees in the economic opportunity category 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 in business growth, job creation and improved healthcare for underserved populations.

Honorees in the general category have shown a longtime commitment to community partnerships, aligned with the institution’s mission and strategic plans on community engagement.  OSU’s mutually-beneficial partnerships with communities and community partners included the effective measurement of impacts on the populations served and evaluation to sustain improvements.

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community challenges and involving students, who are likely to pursue a lifelong path of civic engagement that achieves meaningful and measurable outcomes in the communities they serve.