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University makes presidential honor

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by Ken Harris

Thursday, February 14, 2008

The University of Wisconsin was named to the 2007 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll this week for its active roll in providing students with opportunities to learn and serve the local and global communities.

According to Randy Waller, associate director of the UW Morgridge Center for Public Service, the university is one of 126 total schools to be named to the “With Distinction” list. He added other schools in UW’s peer group that made the list include Michigan, UCLA and Duke.

Only six schools received a higher honor, the Presidential Award for Exemplary Community Service. Another 391 schools were named to the Honor Roll.

This is the second year the award has been in existence and the first time UW has made the list.

“We’re really happy to get this listing this year,” Waller said. “It’s a really nice recognition.”

Waller said the Morgridge Center facilitates a lot of the service-learning and community service opportunities for UW students. He said they provide a “first of its kind” database that provides students with access to about 300 organizations with 2,000 service opportunities listed at any time.

Waller added the database can also connect students to liaisons that can help them find the right opportunity for them.

“I think this service is such an important part of a student’s education,” Waller said. “More and more students are seeing the importance of being an active participant in civic society.”

According to a UW statement, the university offers students more than 50 service-learning courses that allow students to earn credit through volunteering.

The award is handed out by the federal government-run Corporation for National and Community Service that promotes civic engagement at the collegiate level, according to the statement.

“The Honor Roll is designed to showcase and honor what the different campuses are doing and the ways they are making a difference,” Waller said.

According to the statement, the Morgridge Center alone is not responsible for UW receiving the award. Many fraternities, sororities and student organizations also played a part in promoting community service.

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