January 5, 2015
MARSHALL, Texas (12/17/14) - For the fourth consecutive year, East Texas Baptist University has been named to the 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This designation is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.
The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes in the communities they serve. ETBU was recognized in the General Community Service category which recognizes institutions that have made a commitment to improving the quality of life of off-campus community residents.
The ETBU Great Commission Center, led by Dr. Lisa Seeley, encourages students to be involved in community service projects. ETBU was named to the 2014 Honor Roll for its community and service work accomplished during the 2012-2013 academic year.
"ETBU had a 287% increase in total hours served last year and nearly 300 more students participated in serving their community," said Dr. Seeley. "Just over 70% of our student body participates in some type of service each school year."
When new students arrived for Welcome Week over 150 students participated in hands-on community service projects at local schools and non-profit organizations. Students went to Robert E. Lee Elementary, Mission Marshall, Bel Air Baptist Church, Boys and Girls Club of the Big Pines to serve and also played simple games with children at several Marshall Apartment complexes.
ETBU student organizations are also engaged in community service throughout the year. They organized food drives; assembled Christmas boxes for Operation Christmas Child, served as mentors to children of the Marshall Independent School District, and participated in a local Habitat for Humanity build.
"I am so proud to be part of the ETBU community because are students are a wonderful example of Christ's call to love God and love others," Dr. Seeley shared. "ETBU students are impacting the Marshall community and changing lives every day."
The Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering and service, has administered the award since 2006 in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education, Campus Compact, and the Interfaith Youth Core.