[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE LEARNING CENTER

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                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 14, 2017

  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Buffalo 
State College's Volunteer and Service Learning Center and their work 
and civic engagement throughout the City of Buffalo. Their partnerships 
across the city and collaborations with the east side and west side of 
Buffalo are recognized today by None Like You/We Care Outreach and the 
City of Buffalo.
   The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center was founded in 2004, and 
since that time 15,431 students have participated in 820 service-
learning courses taught by 137 faculty members. Over 360,000 hours of 
service have been completed through academic service learning and 103 
volunteer events have also engaged students directly with community 
organizations. Approximately 250 region wide community organizations 
have partnered to meet community need while enhancing student learning.
   Service-learning is faculty driven, with faculty members seeing the 
academic value in establishing partnerships to support student learning 
and meet community driven goals. In a recent community partner survey, 
100 percent of respondents reported that service-learning impacted 
their organization in at least one positive way including increasing 
the number of services offered, increasing the number of clients 
served, or assisting in meeting the organization's mission.
   This significant commitment has also led to the college being placed 
on the President's Community Service Honor Roll eight times in the past 
ten years. The President's Honor Roll is the highest federal 
recognition an institution can receive for its commitment to community, 
service-learning, and civic engagement. For the 2015 honor roll 
application, Buffalo State identified more than 492,000 hours of 
community service activities during the 2014-15 academic year by 
students, faculty, and staff in the Western New York region.
   One overarching goal of the new college strategic plan is to create 
an engaged campus community that fosters civic responsibility by 
increasing civic engagement and service-learning experiences, deepening 
commitments as an anchor institution, and expanding support for faculty 
and students engaged in this work. Buffalo State's President, Dr. 
Katherine Conway-Turner inspires the campus to engage in partnership to 
foster social responsibility. She, for example, hosts the annual 
Bengals Dare to Care: Buffalo State Community Service Day which last 
year saw 550 students, faculty, and staff engaged in a day of service 
with 22 community organizations.
   Mr. Speaker, I honor Buffalo State College and their commitment to 
volunteerism and service-learning in the Buffalo community. It is 
through these important partnerships that students are given the 
opportunity to examine and explore their role as citizens, and to 
identify opportunities to become active citizens in Buffalo and beyond. 
There are numerous unique and innovative programs at Buffalo State that 
support student civic engagement and address education, social justice, 
refugee supports, and social responsibility across campus and therefore 
are most deserving of this recognition by None Like You/We Care and the 
City of Buffalo.

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