Siena College is among the 240 colleges and universities in the United States that have received 2015 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. As one of the 83 schools to earn the classification for the first time, Siena is now one of 361 institutions to hold the distinction.
“These are campuses that are improving teaching and learning, producing research that makes a difference in communities, and revitalizing their civic and academic missions,” said Director of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education John Saltmarsh.
To earn Community Engagement Classification, which was first offered by the Carnegie Foundation in 2006, institutions participated in a voluntary submission process during which they described the nature and extent of their work with the community. Siena’s application was praised for demonstrating the ways in which the College mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.
Serving the community is at the heart of Siena’s mission to build a world that is more just, peaceable and humane. While it is incorporated into campus activities and course curricula, Siena's service activities are spearheaded by two organizations, the Office of Academic Community Engagement and the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy.
“ACE prepares students professionally to enter the workforce, academically to go on to graduate school, and really prepares them for a life of engagement and service in their communities,” said ACE Director Mathew Johnson ’93, Ph.D. “Students engaged in such programs typically have higher GPAs, complete graduate education at a much higher rate than similar students and generally feel like they become the community leaders.”
This academic year, more than 175 Siena students have enrolled in an AmeriCorps term of service across all of the ACE program offerings. Participants in ACE programs will provide more than 120,000 hours of capacity-building service to more than 40 non-profit organizations in the Capital Region, which is equivalent to more than $3.1 million in community contribution as valued by Independent Sector, the industry’s independent volunteer valuation standard.
The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy sponsors many opportunities for students to live the College’s mission by working with people in need. Students volunteer with 130 local agencies that serve the poor and marginalized. Students also tutor children in Albany-area schools and, through the Mentoring Program, serve as big brothers and big sisters to local children. The Franciscan Center’s work stretches beyond the Capital Region as well. Students participate in service trips throughout the country and across the world in places like Jamaica, Haiti and South Africa.
"The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy is proud to have contributed to the college-wide honor of Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation by engaging students in volunteer activities, service immersion trips and advocacy programming," said Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy Director Judy Dougherty '06. "Following Siena's rich tradition of service, these students gain insight into the deeper meaning of serving our marginalized brothers and sisters while developing skills they'll use to serve their communities and succeed in their careers."
Siena’s Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation is valid until 2025.
In the video below, Bonner Service Leader Geroge Lopez '15 interviews ACE Director Mathew Johnson'93, Ph.D. about the impact of ACE programs as part of the College's ongoing interview series, "Five Questions at Casey's."
