Defiance College Receives
National Recognition for Community Service; 
Named to President’s Honor Roll

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College has been admitted to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community. This is the sixth consecutive year DC has been honored.

“Through service, these institutions are creating the next generation of leaders by challenging students to tackle tough issues and create positive impacts in the community,” said Robert Velasco, Acting CEO of CNCS. “We applaud the Honor Roll schools, their faculty and students for their commitment to make service a priority in and out of the classroom. Together, service and learning increase civic engagement while fostering social innovation among students, empowering them to solve challenges within their communities.”

Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.

“We’re thrilled that Defiance College has once again been recognized on a national level for our commitment to service.  DC truly is breaking new ground with our student-run non-profit (Project 701) and our college-wide commitment to giving our students real-world experiences that enable them to stand out both as individuals and in the marketplace,” said Mark C. Gordon, President of Defiance College. “This is also further recognition of the amazing opportunities for students through our pioneering McMaster School for Advancing Humanity as well as numerous other programs at the College that encourage students to work more closely with a broader community.”

Defiance College faculty, staff and students performed a total of more than 40,000 hours of service, served more than 10,000 people, and worked on more than 60 different projects. Among the contributions that Defiance College made to communities were service initiatives in Belize, Cambodia, Jamaica and New Orleans, as well as local projects such as the Family Justice Center partnership, youth athletic outreach, Empty Bowls dinner benefiting the PATH Center, Night Without a Home program to bring awareness to rural homelessness, community-based internships, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, reading mentorships at Defiance Elementary School, Dance Marathon to support Children’s Miracle Network, Make-a-Wish holiday party, service at the Defiance County Humane Society animal shelter, collection of hazardous waste materials for recycling, Jobs Partnership Program and Project 701, among many others.

The Corporation oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visitwww.nationalservice.gov.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.

April 3,2012