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(Grand Rapids, Mich.) - Aquinas College and its students have been awarded three prestigious awards for service and sustainability. On March 4, 2013, Aquinas was named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its commitment to volunteering and community service. On March 13, 2013, the Michigan Campus Compact (MiCC) awarded 16 Aquinas College students for their dedication and commitment to community service. On April 16, 2013, Aquinas was featured in the Princeton Review’s “Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.”

President’s Higher Education Honor Roll
On March 4, 2013, Aquinas College was named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This designation is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. Recipient institutions reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, the Social Innovation Fund and other programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. CNCS has administered this presidential award since 2006 and manages the program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education and Campus Compact.

Michigan Campus Compact Award for Dedication to Community Service
Sixteen students from Aquinas College were awarded for their dedication and commitment to community service during the 17th annual Outstanding Student Service Awards Celebration, April 13, 2013, at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing, Mich.

Each year, MiCC awards students from member colleges and universities across the state for their outstanding commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. This year, more than 450 students from 33 member campuses received awards.

Aquinas students Stephanie Beld, Blake Bensman, Casey Bilodeau, Gabriella Ciccantelli, Molly Cook, Marin Haffey, Zachary Jones, Brian Kalchik, Andrew Libs, Emily McAfee, Jessica McCormick, Erin Miller, Leah Nawrocki, Laura Rico, Ashley Strobel, and Candice Walsh received the Heart and Soul Award. This award is given to students to recognize their time, effort and personal commitment to their communities through service.

Michigan Campus Compact is a coalition of college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the public purpose of higher education. MiCC promotes the education and commitment of Michigan college students to be civically engaged citizens, through creating and expanding academic, co-curricular and campus-wide opportunities for community service, service-learning and civic engagement. >More information on MiCC

Aquinas Featured in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition”
Aquinas College is one of the 322 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review chose the schools for this guide based on a 50 question survey it conducted of administrators at hundreds of four-year colleges in 2012. The company analyzed data from the survey about the schools' course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation to measure their commitment to the environment and to sustainability.

Robert Franek, Senior VP/Publisher of The Princeton Review, said that he is “truly pleased to recommend Aquinas College, along with all of the fine schools in this book to the many students seeking colleges that practice and promote environmentally-responsible choices and practices."