Elon's community service programs earn top recognition in a new book by The Princeton Review and Campus Compact titled, "Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement." The book went on sale June 21. Details…
The Princeton Review and Campus Compact selected the top 81 schools for the book from a pool of over 900 institutions. The book’s editors also invited organizations with expertise in campus community service to nominate colleges for inclusion based on criteria covering three major areas: 1. the college’s admissions practices and scholarships rewarding community service, 2. the level of social engagement of the school’s student body, and 3. the college’s support for service-learning programs, student activism and student voice in school governance.
Only four North Carolina schools are included in the book: Elon University, Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The Princeton Review, known for its services helping students choose and get into colleges, teamed up with Campus Compact, an organization committed to the public purposes of higher education, to develop a unique guide to colleges with the most exemplary public service programs. The publication has detailed profiles on the schools, advice for students interested in attending colleges that foster civic engagement and tips on getting financial support for service.
Presidents from Thomas Jefferson to George Walker Bush have encouraged colleges and college students to serve others. But at some institutions, the track records and commitment to social service and the citizenship and service-learning opportunities for students are truly exceptional. Such is the case at the schools in this book. “A college with a conscience has both an administration committed to social responsibility and a student body actively engaged in serving society,” says Robert Franek, Princeton Review VP-Publishing Education. “At these schools isn’t only about private gain: it’s about the public good.”
At 96 schools considered for the final cut for the book, The Princeton Review collected extensive data about their service programs and policies through surveys of their students and faculty/staff.
A list of the 81 colleges profiled in the book is posted at: http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/conscience/default.asp
Together, they represent a diverse range of four-year institutions across the country. From large state universities to small religiously-affiliated schools, they vary by type (public/private), campus size, setting (urban/rural) and geographic region.
“This book highlights the exceptional work of our member campuses and the wonderful opportunities that exist for students to improve community life and demonstrate social responsibility,” said Campus Compact executive director Elizabeth Hollander. “These schools epitomize higher education in service to the public good.” The book has an appendix with a complete list of Campus Contact member campuses.
“Colleges with a Conscience” also has profiles of 15 students who share perceptions and feedback about their civic engagement activities, experiences, and advice.
The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its test-prep courses, books, college and graduate school admission and K-12 services. Headquartered in New York City with offices across the U.S.A. and abroad, it is not affiliated with Princeton University or ETS. Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 950 college and university presidents committed to supporting the public purposes of higher education. Its national office is in Providence, RI, and it has local offices in 30 states. The North Carolina office is located on the Elon University campus. See http://www.elon.edu/nccc/ for more information.