As Spring Quarter progresses, students who need to fulfill community service hours for academic requirements are searching for volunteering opportunities.
Ohio University awards over 900 scholarships yearly that have individualized requirements, and many such as the King Chavez Parks Award Program and Templeton Scholars have community service requirements.
Academic programs like the Honors Tutorial College or resident assistant training also make civic engagement a part of the educational experience.
Requirements for these programs vary. The Honors Tutorial College does not specify a number of volunteer hours, but instead encourages dedicated involvement in the community. Resident assistant trainees are required to complete four hours of service.
Students often view these activities as a chore to check off of a list and not the citizenship opportunity that it was intended for, said Jan Hodson, assistant dean of the Honors Tutorial College.
That's discouraging. I try my best to talk to (students) early in the year about the true reason for doing this
Hodson said.
Casey Neill, a freshman studying classics, said that she waited to do the bulk of her community service during Spring Quarter because there was not enough time during the winter.
Winter Quarter I was so bogged down by work Neill said.
The department of campus life began a program in January of 2008 called Project of the Week to provide students with a quick and easy way to get involved. Often times, the department must add on extra projects at the end of the quarter to meet the number of volunteers.
From weeks five through ten, there is a noticeable increase in student volunteers, said Kevin Smith, interim assistant director of campus life for leadership and community service.
We see a huge influx toward the end of every quarter he said.
Though many students may wait until the last minute to complete their requirements, Smith said that OU has a great culture that is very focused on service.
It's a community of people who really want to help each other
he said.
Students still looking for hours can visit www.ohio.edu/community service.
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Culture
Gina Edwards
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Anna Tobor, from left, Lauren Laneville and Jaime Amos help clean up the garden at East Elementary School as a part of Athens Beautification Day. All three are members of Alpha Phi Omega, a fraternity based on community service. (Maddie McGarvey | For The Post)
