Email Article

Printable Page

N.C. Central Students Lagging on Community Service

By Aliece McNair
Black College Wire

N.C. Central University In the 2004-05 school year, 811 students participated in a service learning course at North Carolina Central University, performing 62,803 hours, the school says.

Without 120 community service hours, they won't be permitted to graduate. Seventeen students from the fall 2005 class and five students from spring 2006 did not graduate on time.

As of Dec. 4, just 20 percent of graduating seniors had been cleared for graduation, according to Tannya Suggs, program assistant for the Academic Community Service Learning Program.

"If seniors have not received clearance from our department, then they need to come by as soon as possible," said Suggs.

Graduating seniors who have not met their requirements are notified by mail or phone. According to Suggs, about 95 percent of seniors in the December graduating class were contacted.

Larry Horne, an art senior, said the outreach effort by the Academic Community Service Learning Program office was a good idea.

"I would hate for community service to be a thing that keeps me from graduating," he said.

Horne said he is now finishing his community service hours.

"I have no choice but to complete them because that's not an option," he said.

"I did the Blood Drive, Walk for Diabetes, cleaning up the community, picking up trash . . ."

Horne said he likes the one-time events because they offer more hours.

While some students complain about the community service requirement, it's clear that service is central to the university's mission.

Dr. James E. Shepard founded North Carolina Central on "Truth and Service," and the mission of the service learning program is to "serve the state, nation, and world through teaching, research and service, and to guide students, faculty, administrators, and staff through meaningful academic community service learning."

The service learning program, established by current Provost Beverly Washington-Jones in 1995, has always required students to complete 120 hours of community service.

The Academic Community Service Learning Program verifies student service hours before clearing them for graduation.

This year, five students were found to have falsely documented their hours.

Aliece McNair, a student at North Carolina Central University, writes for the Campus Echo.

Posted Dec. 11, 2006