Maine Campus Compact (MCC), a non-profit statewide membership coalition of 17 Maine colleges and universities, held their 13th Annual Awards Ceremony at the State House Hall of Flags in Augusta on April 30. The ceremony recognized the outstanding work in public service and civic engagement by Maine faculty members, students, and campus departments and organizations.
At the ceremony, Saint Joseph’s College’s Communications Department was honored with the President’s Leadership Award. John Hufstader, associate professor of communications and department chair, and William Yates, associate professor of communications, were present to receive the award.
The Communications Department was honored for its outstanding commitment to integrating service-learning experiences into the curriculum. In their nomination from the College’s president, Dr. James Dlugos, it was noted that during any give semester, about 60 percent of the courses offered contain some aspect of community-based learning in an active and participatory manner.
The President’s Leadership Award is given to recognize exceptional contributions to community service, service learning, and/or civic engagement efforts by campus departments/organizations. The recipients demonstrate the use of service as an integral part of the college experience for students, create innovative approaches to campus-based efforts to address community issues, integrate these strategies into their institutional structure, and deeply impact both their campus and the surrounding community. Eight departments were recognized this year. Other recipients include the Partnership for Civic Advancement at University of Maine at Farmington, the Art Department at University of Maine at Augusta, the Department of Environmental Science at University of Southern Maine, the Division of Student Life at the University of Maine, the 100% Society at University of Maine at Machias, the Communications Department at Saint Joseph’s College, and the Health and Wellness Club at Southern Maine Community College.
Established in 1994 and hosted at Bates College, MCC is a statewide coalition of 17 college and university presidents working to build strong communities and a more just democratic society by developing students’ citizenship and problem-solving skills through community-based learning. MCC is an affiliate state office of Campus Compact, which encompasses more than 1,100 college and university presidents – representing some 6 million students-dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement, and service-learning in higher education. More than 15,000 student volunteers at MCC member campuses provide some 1.6 million hours of service annually, with an economic impact of more than $25 million a year.
Maine Compact Awards Ceremony 2014 Photos from MaineCompact
Contact: David Svenson at 207-893-7723 · dsvenson@sjcme.edu
