Lee University has been named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

Out of 690 schools selected, Lee was one of only 100 named to the honor roll with distinction. 

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized the university and its students for their dedication to meeting the needs of the areas most disadvantaged and vulnerable residents.

According to Vice President for Student Development Mike Hayes, Lee students committed more than 74,000 hours of service, developing and managing innovative programs that resulted from the combined efforts of the faculty and more than 3,500 students. 

“This award indicates that our students, faculty, staff, and community are making a difference with excellence,” said Mr. Hayes. “Lee students are using their gifts to meet pressing needs in Cleveland and around the world.”

Lee University’s commitment to service extends to each of its students who must complete two service-embedded courses and 80 hours of service-learning as a graduation requirement. 

Students lead several pioneering service projects including Lee University’s Crossover program, a food distribution program which partners with area grocers and retailers to feed local disadvantaged families; the Lee Campus Kitchen, which provides students with the opportunity to join the next generation of service leaders in learning innovative techniques to fight hunger; and the Lee University Developmental Inclusion Classroom, which provides educational planning, family support services and activities for area students with autism-spectrum disorders.

Other service projects include Bridging the Gap, a program designed to partner with local schools to benefit their students and to develop their service-learning programs; the Community Action Network, a network designed to help connect local service organizations with those in need in the Cleveland area; and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, a business students-led tax assistance program for low-income individuals. 

The President’s Higher Education Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measureable outcomes in the communities they serve.

For more information about the Corporation for National and Community Service, please visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/

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For more information about service-learning at Lee, please contact the Leonard Center at 614-8614.