‘Committed to Community Service’
OWU student Gretchen Curry ’12 took this photo during a trip to South Africa. The University has been recognized by ‘BestCollegesOnline’ as one of the nation’s ‘20 colleges most committed to community service.’ (Photo by Gretchen Curry ’12)
Check out BestCollegesOnline’s list of the nation’s “20 colleges most committed to community service,” published recently by USA Today, and you’ll find a familiar name on the roster.
Ohio Wesleyan University comes in at No. 15 on the list, prompting one loyal Bishop to respond that OWU “should definitely be in the top 5” and another to cheer that fact that “You remembered OWU!”
According to the ranking, Ohio Wesleyan “is no slouch in the community service department … raking in numerous local and national awards (including, of course, a President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll) for its accomplishments. Of the myriad events and programs (some international!) offered yearly, the Delaware Crop Walk—benefiting the nondenominational Church World Service—is held on campus to sustainably benefit disaster, famine and war victims.”
It’s often said a strong service ethic is woven into the fabric of Ohio Wesleyan, and this honor joins several others recognizing the compassionate outreach of the OWU community. According to the latest data, our students volunteered more than 47,000 hours during the 2009-2010 academic year to help others locally, nationally, and internationally.
In addition to the new BestCollegesOnline honor, Ohio Wesleyan this spring earned its third consecutive spot on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, prompting OWU President Rock Jones to declare: “Ohio Wesleyan students are committed to serving others and improving lives. From mentoring schoolchildren to providing translation services for Hispanic families, from building homes to working to alleviate global poverty, they are wonderful role models for the world.”
In 2010, Ohio Wesleyan also was recognized by both Washington Monthly and Newsweek for its commitment to service.
Washington Monthly ranked Ohio Wesleyan as No. 51 among the nation’s top liberal arts institutions based upon its performance as an engine of social mobility, contribution to fostering scientific and humanistic research, and promotion of an ethic of community service. Newsweek ranked Ohio Wesleyan as No. 22 among the nation’s 25 most service-minded schools in its first-ever rankings of “The Best Schools in America.”
Congratulations to the many OWU students, faculty, and staff who make a difference every day.
View the complete BestCollegesOnline list.