Alfred State students are doers, not bystanders. In fact, last year alone, more than 2,000 of this college of technology’s students contributed more than 46,000 hours of service, civic leadership, and workforce-ready knowledge to communities in need. And this August, the college was selected to participate in a national initiative on civic learning and democratic engagement for the second consecutive year.
Alfred State has been named one of just 70 colleges and universities in the nation designated Lead Institutions by NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the leading voice for the student affairs profession.
“Alfred State is pleased to be selected to participate in NASPA’s network of institutions dedicated to developing students’ sense of civic identity, as civic engagement is a core value of higher education,” says Director of Civic Engagement Jonathan Hilsher.
Alfred State’s commitment to civic engagement is deeply embedded in the college’s unique educational culture, namely project-based learning. By coupling real-world learning situations with a focus on meaningful civic engagement opportunities, Alfred State students regularly make significant contributions to communities around the world.
Alfred State students have often been among the first to lend a hand in communities devastated by Super Storm Sandy and Haitian communities recovering from the 2010 earthquake. And just this past August, a group of building trades students left for a semester-long project-based learning assignment called Semester in the South. For 12 weeks, these students will be building homes with Habitat for Humanity in Biloxi, Mississippi, and renovating the Dodwell House community center in New Orleans.
“Being recognized as a national leader in this field reflects our institutional commitment to civic leadership, the quality of our current efforts, and our ongoing commitment to inspiring students to develop innovative solutions to community challenges and opportunities.”
Read more about Alfred State’s commitment to civic engagement here.