Top 10 Colleges That Give Back To Communities (SLIDESHOW)

The Washington Monthly recently released its national rankings of 258 universities, but didn't focus on test scores, admission rates or the number of professors boasting fancy post-graduate degrees. Rather, the study examined how these schools give back to their communities, based on social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and service (encouraging students to give something back to their country). We honed in on one particular criteria taken into consideration, the 10 universities that participated in the most community service.

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[Josephine AcostaPasricha]

09:51 AM on 09/06/2011

Undersecretary General and UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet, in a keynote speech to universities and university women, explained the Five Thematic Priorities of UN Women as follows:
1. Women leadership and participation
2. Ending violence in women and girls
3. Engaging women in peace building processes
4. Enhancing women’s economic empowerment
5. Gender equality central to national development planning
Bachelet also enumerated Four Proposals to universities:
1. Collaboration between interested faculty with UN Women’s senior policy advisor to contribute to research agenda
2. UN Women’s Fellows Program, a network of engaged professionals
3. UN Women Internship Program for master degree students
4. Support of Global Strategy for Women and Children’s health
Bachelet said that higher education within the reach of the majority empowers women to be independent thinkers and agents of change. Yet there are gaps to be narrowed. For example, there is only one university in Africa that is included in the World’s top ranked universities – the University of Capetown. But there are 4.5 million secondary students who need to be accepted into college.
There is a need to “amplify women’s voices and leadership, create the momentum of change, generate broad based results, and find measures in absolute and relative terms”, Bachelet said.
Story-telling can also be used as a tool in change management and as a social science. “We can share stories of change and transformation for economic growth, political vitality and social development”.

Even in post-disaster and post-conflict situations.

[Josephine AcostaPasricha]

09:46 AM on 09/06/2011

The Fifth Global Colloquium of University Presidents around the world met in a conference for “Empowering Women to Change the World: What Universities and the United Nations Can Do”.
The event was hosted by Dr. Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania.
Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general, was keynote speaker. In his speech, Ban Ki-moon opened a Johari window. He said that as a child in the 1950’s, he wrote to then UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold about the status of children during the Korean War. Now, as UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon said, he hopes that children would not need to complain to him. But he still receives a lot of letters from children.
Ban Ki-moon also said that he intends to increase the number of women workers at the United Nations to 40 percent. There is already egalitarianism and gender parity in the top management. But he needs women representation in middle management.
The UN Academic Impact was also launched for partnership between academia and the United Nations: To generate data, partnerships with researchers and scholars, and reshaping on the ground.
The best insight he revealed, however, is how the United Nations sent a group of Indian women police to visit Liberia. The female victims of injustice in Liberia became more open and vocal. At the same time, because the women in Liberia saw that it is possible to have a female police force, many women applied to become police women.

[JoeWolfe]

12:00 AM on 09/06/2011

Perrie,

I totally understand your sentiment but please remember that giving back often includes giving of one's time and spirit, not just money, something that a young college crowd certainly has a lot of to offer.

I'd also like to ask anyone reading this who invests in the stock market - please consider giving back the next time you make a really good profit - and it's good to know in advance what you'll do with the money should you get it. To see where I'm coming from:

http://how-to-make-money-with-penny-stocks.blogspot.com/2011/07/why-i-love-penny-stocks-so-much.html

http://how-to-make-money-with-penny-stocks.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-giving-back-helps-you-make-more.html

Joe

[maxfax]

05:11 PM on 09/04/2011

Something you will never see associated with for-profit corporate "universities." Heaven help us.

[Perrie Mo]

05:39 AM on 09/04/2011

Broke college students are helping. What about the rich Goldman Sachs CEOs and the wall street rats? Kicking people out of their "foreclosure" houses.

[CB5]

03:07 PM on 09/03/2011

Thank You Mizzou, for all you have done to help the people of Joplin. We know how much you have given and shared in helping your neighbors in Joplin. And all the other wonderful and spirited work you have done for your community and state. ONE STATE ONE SPIRIT. Thank you, Mizzou. GO TIGERS!!

[IrishCatholic09]

10:24 PM on 09/02/2011

Not having Notre Dame on this list is a very big oversight. Over 80% of students graduate having done significant community service projects. Whether it be giving up their summers to service projects domestically or abroad, performing alternative spring/fall breaks, or giving back to communities every winter in its "Urban Plunge" program, Notre Dame students give more than a few hours to service projects, but instead days, weeks, and in many cases months in very depressed locations. Furthermore, a full 10-15% (varies by year) of students graduate and enter into 1+ year commitments to service in one organization or another, domestically or internationally.

I mean no disrespect to the other 10 schools, as they all seem very impressive, but there is no way that all 10 have more of a focus, and more of a commitment, to service than Notre Dame.

[dadw5boys]

09:44 PM on 09/02/2011

How many of these Communities try and block students from Voting ?????

[CB5]

03:41 PM on 09/03/2011

I hope none. These college kids are the future leaders of tomorrow. We need their involvement as much as they need to be involved in this process.

[Marlon G]

06:05 PM on 09/02/2011

The University of Central Florida should be on this list. They have various programs that serve as a bridge between students and the community. They are known for their student-run Volunteer UCF agency where they host "Knights Give Back" the annual day of service as well as "ASB", an alternative spring break program where all aspects of the volunteer trips are planned by UCF students. They also have the LEAD Scholars program which requires students to complete community service hours and various service-based registered student organizations that have won awards for their community involvement both on a local and national level.

[knight7se7en]

03:15 PM on 09/02/2011

Xavier University Of Louisiana should most definitely be on this list.....

[kramereng]

02:37 PM on 09/02/2011

Wright State, wrong school.

[Sandy23]

02:10 PM on 09/02/2011

How about Rutgers. I am CEO of a social service agency in Newark and we have had amazing experiences with Rutgers. Food drives, internships, Halloween party for homeless kids, clothing drives, christmas party for homeless children, financial contributions. Anytime we call they help.

[indiecratublican]

02:09 PM on 09/02/2011

Notice how some of these colleges ended up on the "less rigorous" list posted by the Daily Beast. Perhaps coursework, volunteer work, and actual hands on experience is all synonymous.

[Maureen Downs]

07:41 AM on 09/06/2011

Does criticizing the integrity of the schools validate your inability to accomplish coursework, volunteer work and actual hands on experience?

[indiecratublican]

07:36 PM on 09/06/2011

Apparently the Daily Beast thinks so.

[Gerald Haggerty]

12:55 PM on 09/02/2011

How is it that you have nothing on Tulane University in New Orleans? Public service became a requirement of graduation as part of the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina. The University has played an integral part and the city renaissance and I would think, should be recognized as such.

[knight7se7en]

03:16 PM on 09/02/2011

I went to school right down the street from you at Xavier University Of Louisiana.....your point is well taken. Both Xavier and Tulane should be on this list.