It started nine years ago when the award was first created, and it has continued every year since – Cal State San Bernardino has again been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
CSUSB was recognized for its service to the community in the past year, when students, faculty and staff contributed more than 95,000 volunteer hours to local communities, said Diane Podolske, director of CSUSB’s Office of Community Engagement.
Launched in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes institutions of higher education that support exemplary community service programs and raise the visibility of effective practices in campus community partnerships.
The designation by the Corporation for National and Community Service is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
“This is a remarkable accomplishment, and among all of CSUSB’s many distinctions, is perhaps the one that gives me the greatest pride,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “But this becomes especially praiseworthy when you consider that a large number of our students must work hard every day to provide for themselves and their families, overcoming obstacles that would challenge even the most industrious of us. Their generous commitment to community service is truly inspiring.”
As an example, in April, more than 600 CSUSB students, faculty and staff members volunteered for 17 local non-profits and community centers for the fourth annual CSUSB Coyote Cares Day on April 16 as part of National Volunteer Week.
The volunteer day had special meaning for the university; Morales dedicated it to the city of San Bernardino and its people in the wake of the horrific mass shooting Dec. 2, 2015, at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, in which 14 were killed and 21 others wounded.
“We are all acutely aware that Dec. 2, 2015, was a difficult day in San Bernardino, when the acts of a few tragically impacted the lives of many,” Morales said. “Today, we show the world that we are ‘SB Strong’ by demonstrating our unity and care for this community through service.”
This year CSUSB was again recognized in three separate classifications – general service, economic opportunity and education, Podolske said.
“Our campus does amazing service in the community,” Podolske said. “We are very proud of our students, faculty and staff who volunteer.”
Visit the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll website, and follow it on Facebook, for more information on its programs.
Also visit the CSUSB Office of Community Engagement website for more information.
About California State University, San Bernardino
California State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. CSUSB reflects the dynamic diversity of the region and has the most diverse student population of any university in the Inland Empire, and it has the second highest African American and Hispanic enrollments of all public universities in California. Eighty percent of those who graduate are the first in their families to do so.
For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.