JASON MEYER STAFF WRITER
Wartburg College received the Higher Education Civic Engagement Award from The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars earlier this month.
Wartburg was selected for its development of the Center for Community Engagement, which integrates every aspect of student life with the ideals of leadership, service and civic engagement, Director of the CCE, Daniel Kittle said. The prestigious award makes the college an example for other institutions to follow.
“It basically affirms what the college does for civic engagement and community development,” Kittle said.
Kittle said this year has stood out with more faculty and staff coming to the CCE for more information. Students have embraced programs such as internships, service trips, and student teaching, provided by the CCE and he is excited to see the rest of the campus community getting involved.
The CCE has tried to find a way to interact with the community through any means possible. Jo Dorrance, the CCE internship coordinator, said one of the best examples of getting involved with the community was the flood of 2008.
Following the 2008 floods, Wartburg was viewed as a leader in the community for flood recovery. The CCE was earmarked by the former Interim President Willam Hamm and determined where the volunteer coordination would exist. Dorrance said the CCE was where Wartburg could reach out to the community during the recovery process.
“We had over 7,000 hours of volunteer time with over 700 volunteers coming to the center, to go out to the right homes and businesses to help with the flood,” Dorrance said.
Dorrance said the CCE will always look for a way to stay engaged with the community. Other engagement programs include a partnership with the Waverly Health Center, so pre-med students can get into a hospital setting before they apply for medical school.
Kittle hopes the award recognizes the work they do and he said this is exceptional compared to other institutions. He also said it helps them compare their work to other schools.
“What this award tells us is that what we’re doing is exceptional and we should celebrate that as a campus community,” he said.
Wartburg was one of five colleges who won the Higher Education Civic Engagement award.
The award was given during The Washington Center’s annual Academic Affairs Awards Luncheon. The awards serve to honor many of the center’s academic partners, sponsors, agencies, faculty and other supporters who assist in providing strong academic programs for students.