Morrisville State recognized nationally for campus, community partnership

Morrisville State has received national recognition for its commitment to community service.



The college was among 20 SUNY campuses named to the 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.



Launched in 2006, the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll annually recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful results in their communities.



“Participating in community service is an important part of any college experience, and a hallmark of our strategic plan,” said State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher in a news release. “Each of our SUNY campuses has an astounding array of options for students as well as faculty and staff to give back to their local communities, and to have a greater impact on communities across the country and abroad.”



Participation in community service activities and specifically, being named to the Honor Roll, is one of the metrics SUNY uses to measure its success toward one of the Big Ideas in its strategic plan: SUNY and the Vibrant Community.



Morrisville State College has a strong history of serving its local community through volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. The college was also named to the 2010 and 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.



In addition to ongoing volunteer efforts through Mustang Outreach and Volunteer Efforts (MOVE), a campus organization that reaches out to help those less fortunate in the community, the college leads an annual volunteer brigade in which they perform an array of tasks and services needed by residents in neighboring areas. Students also reach out to the community during the college's annual Martin Luther King Day celebration.



“Sustainable projects provide potential for long-term impact and build a culture of service on our campuses,” said Margaret Hoose, a member of MOVE, and assistant professor/coordinator of the early childhood program at the Norwich campus.



This year, the Morrisville campus continues to expand upon its Red Cross partnership with regular blood drives to address the critical need in Central New York, while the Norwich campus continues to work with the Chenango County Homeless Task Force and New Visions Homeless Shelter in Camden, NJ, according to Hoose.



“Both projects continue to build the community partnerships and culture of service Morrisville has become recognized and known to provide for students and the community,” she said.