PNC Named to President’s Community Service Honor Roll

WESTVILLE – Purdue University North Central has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service in recognition of the efforts of PNC and its students in giving their time and talents in community service projects in 2007.

The Honor Roll is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, through its Learn and Serve America program and the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
PNC was named in 2006 to the first-ever President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for distinguished community service in recognition of extraordinary volunteer efforts by the school and its students to serve area neighborhoods and Gulf Coast communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

“In recent years our PNC students have consistently committed their time and talents to a number of worthwhile service learning projects that have provided immeasurable benefit to our community,” said Dr. James B. Dworkin, PNC chancellor. “Our students are visible members of the community and pitch in to help in so many different ways. They’ve donated their talents to repair and mend homes, to aid not-for-profit agencies in serving the public and fulfilling their mission to the community, and they’ve acted out as mentors, tutors and role models for area youth.”

PNC student activities in the community include:

Since January 2000, the Architectural Design - Light Commercial and Institutional class has provided architectural assistance to area non-profit organizations considering building projects. Clients include: Michiana Resources, Michigan City; Porter-Starke Services, Valparaiso and Spiritual Science Church, Michigan City.

Students in the Construction Club and those in the Organizational Leadership and Supervision Servant Leadership Class have a history of helping with the Rebuilding Together Duneland Project. Students have raised money for the project and dozens of students have donated many hours of work to paint, remodel, repair and refurbish homes of people who cannot do the work themselves. Construction Club members have also helped the Spring Valley Homeless Shelter in Valparaiso.

Students from throughout campus have helped community projects undertaken as part of the campus Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. In 2007 students volunteered to paint walls at the LaPorte YMCA.

The Biology Department has a new course, "The Biology and Controversy of Medical Ethics" where students are assigned to a variety of health care locations so they can learn about medical ethical issues. This familiarizes students with real-world situations so they gain a better understanding of medical ethical situations.

This is the 19th year that PNC tax and accounting students have offered free assistance to provide basic income tax return preparation to individuals with low to moderate incomes, individuals with disabilities and the elderly through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

The Communication Department Small Group Discussion class has traditionally assisted not-for-profit agencies in developing and implementing various public relations and marketing strategies. Students have helped Michiana Resources; American Red Cross of LaPorte County; Mixed Up Mutts, LaPorte; Christian Community Action (CCA), Valparaiso and Healthy Communities of LaPorte County.

Students in Advanced Presentational Speaking have worked with students in the Michigan City Safe Harbor after-school program and students in Approaches to the Study of Interpersonal Communication participated in the "School Buddies" mentoring program.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

In congratulating the winners, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said, “Americans rely on our higher education system to prepare students for citizenship and the workforce. We look to institutions like these to provide leadership in partnering with local schools to shape the civic, democratic and economic future of our country.”

Overall, the Community Service Honor Roll awarded six schools with Presidential Awards. In addition, four schools were recognized as Special Achievement Award winners, 127 as Honor Roll with Distinction members and 391 schools as Honor Roll members. In total, 528 schools were recognized. A full list is available at www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll.

PNC students are part of a national trend that sees college students volunteering at record levels The Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) reported that two-thirds of students entering college believed it was very important to help others, the highest percentage in the last 25 years. In 2006, 2.8 million college students volunteered more than 297 million hours worth an estimated a total of $5.6 billion, according to HERI.

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