Antioch University Receives Top Honor for Community Service

USA Today has named Antioch University one of the “Top 20 Colleges Most Committed to Community Service,” the second such major honor the college has received this year.

USA Today, the second largest circulation newspaper in the nation, cited Antioch in a July 2011 report it released on its web site in partnership with OnlineColleges, a leading internet education service. The report highlighted Antioch University’s service projects locally, around the country, and throughout the world, calling it “one of the more inspiring schools” in the U.S. for its community activities.

The honor follows the national recognition Antioch University received in May 2011, when the college was admitted to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, for the strong institutional commitment and support of its campuses for volunteerism, service learning and community partnerships that produce measureable results.

Dr. Nancy Leffert, President of Antioch University Santa Barbara (AUSB), said she was proud of the honors because they reflect the emphasis the institution places on community service as a core element of its educational philosophy.

“Civic engagement is a key component of our educational values and deeply-held philosophy,” said Dr. Leffert. “We teach our students the importance of service learning in the classroom and the community. Being recognized as an educational institution for our service commitment is especially meaningful to us.”

Locally, Antioch University Santa Barbara collaborates with non-profit organizations, community programs and businesses, including the Fund for Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, around the region’s issues of importance. Students connect with community groups and leaders through service learning that includes internships, practica and independent studies, plus a social justice film series and a lecture series on environmental issues. Antioch is one of the few universities in the U.S. to award academic credit for learning gained outside of the classroom.

BACKGROUND

AUSB has offered quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs locally for 34 years. All AUSB students are required to participate in community service, serving locally on average one year in schools and more than 100 social service agencies and non-profit organizations. Experiential learning opportunities are created both in the classroom as well as in the community through internships, practica, and independent studies. AUSB is also one of the growing number of universities in the U.S. to award academic credit for prior learning gained outside of the classroom, earned for example in the military, corporate training and other non-classroom settings.

Antioch University serves more than 4,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at its five campuses in four states. Each campus offers degree programs that meet—and often anticipate—the pressing needs of its region and the wider world. The University is also home to the landmark PhD in Leadership and Change; Antioch Education Abroad, an exceptional opportunity of immersive service and study programs; and WYSO, a leading public radio affiliate and an essential source of global news and opinion.

AUSB is particularly distinguished with its unique undergraduate degree completion program in liberal studies and graduate master’s and doctoral programs in clinical psychology and education that integrate students’ academic experience and experiential learning. Additionally, students in all of AUSB’s programs can specialize in relevant and applied specialized concentrations.

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Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the presidential Honor Roll, admitted colleges and universities on the basis of their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at risk youth. “Congratulations to Antioch University and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick A. Corvington, Chief Executive Officer of CNCS. “We salute all the Honor Roll awardees for embracing their civic mission and providing opportunities for their students to tackle tough national challenges through service.”