University receives national community service honor

SF State has been selected for the 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that leads President Barack Obama's national call to service initiative.

An SF State student reads a story at an elementary schoolSF State is being recognized for the fourth time since the program was launched in 2006, when the University was among the inaugural group of honorees. In 2010, SF State was one of six institutions to win a Presidential Award, the program's top honor.

"At SF State, our students learn the importance of making a difference in their communities as passionate, dedicated citizens," said President Les Wong. "We're gratified to see this commitment recognized at the national level."

Students contribute an average of 875,000 community-service hours per year, donating the equivalent of more than $15 million worth of services. In 1997, SF State became one of the first universities in the country to offer academic credit for community work, and today students earn units for volunteering in almost 500 community-service learning courses in disciplines such as ethnic studies, public administration, engineering and special education and communicative disorders.

"Community" is also one of the five core values of SF State's strategic plan. Per the plan, the University aspires to improve its community partnerships; recognize the positive community impact made by students, faculty and staff; and provide students with opportunities to think critically about the impact they have on society.

For more information about how SF State students are involved in their communities, visit www.sfsu.edu/~puboff/wmih/communities.html

To learn about the University's core value of Community, visit planning.sfsu.edu/

-- University Communications