Take the critical examination from the classroom and apply it to real world challenges. At Macaulay, we believe that every Macaulay Scholar should find ways to meet the challenges faced by his or her community. We encourage you to participate in service opportunities that reflect your individual values and concerns as well as your educational and professional goals.
Service opportunities take many forms, from one-time events to long-term activities. Service is really about sustained contact with people in a particular community, working on a specific issue, understanding the root causes of that issue. By the time your service project is completed, you should know that you’ve made a difference. You should not only be able to feel this, but to see your tangible impact as well. After your service, you leave knowing that your contribution will live on whether are you still serving or not. Service is a key component of what it means to be an honors student–it is critical learning in action. There are also service opportunities attached to course work and part of a formal learning experience: these are known as service learning programs. Whatever form you choose, it is vital that you find ways to give, thereby giving back to the communities that help support your education.
Macaulay Scholars have found these programs personally fulfilling and worthwhile uses of their breaks. If you participate, you will have the opportunity not only to learn about social issues through service, but also to learn about yourself, others and the world around you. Students who participate in these service experiences gain the satisfaction of knowing they can have a profound impact on the communities they encounter, while forming genuine connections or lasting bonds with their fellow peers students.
To satisfy the Macaulay requirement for service:
- You must complete a minimum of 30 hours of community service, with a minimum of 10 hours during each of your first three years at Macaulay. Individual campuses may require additional community service hours.
- You may not count an activity for which you are compensated in any form (e.g. monetary, material gifts or service in-kind) towards your community service requirement. Unpaid internships, including those at nonprofit organizations or government agencies, are not considered community service.
- Political campaigning or participating in religious service such as proselytizing, faith-based instruction, or other acts as an expression of faith are not considered community service.
- You must submit an online Community Service Verification Form documenting your completed community service, to be approved by your MHC honors advisor.
- If you are unsure if your service will fulfill the requirement, be sure to reach out to your advisor.
Check out photos from community service here.
How to Submit Service Hours
- You must submit an online Community Service Verification Form before participating in Community Service.
- You will receive an email with your form responses, which you must print or save as a PDF. The supervisor of the service you participate in must sign the form. Alternatively, students may provide their advisor with a confirmation email from the service supervisor confirming the hours.
- Submit form to your advisor for approval.
Optional Exercise: Reflect on Service
Reflecting on your community service experience can help you gain an in-depth understanding of the value and impact of your work. You can visit this link to see prompts for journaling your community service experience and submit a reflection. While this is an optional exercise, we hope that reflecting will help you make the most of your community service experience.
See your individual campus honors office for additional service requirements, policies and procedures.
Also, visit the Service Opportunities site to find more detailed information.