COLLEGE NOTES

University programs receive national recognition

The University of South Carolina has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. It’s the third consecutive year that the university has been recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in community service and service-learning programs.

The Honor Roll, which was launched in 2006, recognizes American colleges and universities that offer innovative and effective community service and academic service-learning programs.

Service learning at the university has become an important part of the undergraduate experience, said Jimmie Gahagan, assistant vice provost for student engagement.

“Service learning enhances traditional instruction by promoting active learning, real-world application of course content and reflection by students who are working with partner organizations to address an identified community need,” he said.

The university’s Community Service Programs initiative, celebrating its 20th anniversary, coordinates service projects that last year included the children’s literacy initiative, Cocky’s Reading Express; Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service; and Day for Dillon, a volunteer effort to assist the students and teachers in one of South Carolina’s poorest school districts.

Through these and other programs, including service-learning courses, an estimated 16,334 students engaged in nearly 250,000 hours of community service last year.

University’s Student Success Center, group exercise program named best in country

The University of South Carolina’s Student Success Center and group-exercise program have won gold Excellence Awards from NASPA, the national organization for student-affairs administrators in higher education.

The Student Success Center won a gold Excellence Award in the “Enrollment Management, Orientation, Parents, First-Year, Other-Year and related” category and was the top student-success program recognized.

The center coordinates programs and services that include supplemental instruction, a student-led academic-assistance program; tutoring; academic-recovery programs; and programs for transfer, out-of-state and minority students.

“The awards are a testament to the success the university has had in providing our students with a superior educational experience in and beyond the classroom,” said Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for academic support.

Campus Recreation’s group-exercise program also won a gold Excellence Award in the “Athletics, Recreation, Physical Fitness, Non-Varsity Sports and related” category.

The group-exercise program’s trained and certified group-exercise instructors offer more than 90 weekly classes in styles that include cardio, conditioning, mind and body, water and sculpting.

The university’s two gold awards are among only nine given each year to honor excellence, innovation and effectiveness in student-affairs programs at colleges and universities across the United States.