Campus Compact has selected Rollin Johnson, Jr., as the inaugural Director of Campus Compact for Virginia. Johnson, who most recently served as Director of the Center for Social Concern at Johns Hopkins University, will lead the new coalition of colleges and universities to advance the public purposes of higher education across the Commonwealth.

As Director, Johnson will spearhead coordinated civic and community engagement efforts among Virginia’s colleges and universities. He will work with students, faculty, staff, and community organizations to support greater integration of activities in civic and service learning, community based research, national service, and other areas in which institutions of higher education can contribute to the wellbeing of Virginia and Virginians.

The launch of Campus Compact for Virginia is the culmination of a year-long effort by college and university presidents, along with faculty and staff members, from throughout the Commonwealth. The 24 founding member institutions include public, private, two-year, and four-year colleges from every region of Virginia.

Campus Compact for Virginia will be hosted by James Madison University in Harrisonburg. “We are excited to welcome Rollin Johnson to our campus and our community,” said Jonathan Alger, President of James Madison. “Rollin’s passionate commitment to civic and community engagement makes him a great choice to help our new Compact make a major impact. I am excited about what our colleges and universities have already been able to achieve in launching the Compact, and I am pleased that JMU can serve our peers by hosting. Recent events have underscored the importance of bringing the people of our Commonwealth together to strengthen our communities and our democracy; my presidential colleagues and I see in Campus Compact for Virginia a crucial vehicle for working together, building trust, and creating the best Virginia for all of us.”

First Lady of Virginia, Dorothy McAuliffe, was instrumental in bringing Virginia’s higher education leaders together to focus on contributing to the public good. Working with President Alger and President W. Taylor Reveley III of the College of William & Mary, Mrs. McAuliffe convened three higher education summits that provided the impetus for building Campus Compact for Virginia.

“I am excited that Campus Compact for Virginia will be led by a talented and experienced individual like Rollin Johnson,” said Mrs. McAuliffe. “Expanding opportunities for young people to give back through national service and civic engagement will help deepen our understanding of the responsibilities, not only the rights of citizenship, and cultivate the next generation of leaders, who can work together across social divides to produce results for our country. The Governor and I are grateful to the Commonwealth’s college and university presidents who came together to take this important step.”

Campus Compact for Virginia is part of the national Campus Compact network, which includes more than 1000 colleges and universities. “I am thrilled that Campus Compact for Virginia is ready for takeoff, and in Rollin Johnson we have an accomplished leader to help it soar,” said Andrew Seligsohn, President of Campus Compact. “Virginia colleges and universities are already contributing to the public good by preparing students for engaged citizenship and building partnerships with their communities. By working together through Campus Compact for Virginia, they will be able to multiply their positive impact for the good of the Commonwealth.”

Johnson has a deep record of leadership in community engagement and public service. Before joining Johns Hopkins, he served as Director of Community Partnerships at the Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning at the University of Michigan. He is a returned Peace Corps volunteer, having served in Burkina Faso and Nepal, and he contributed a year of domestic national service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with Iowa Campus Compact. In 2012, the Peace Corps honored Johnson with the Franklin H. Williams Award in recognition of his continuing commitment to service and understanding among people with varied backgrounds.

Following are the founding members of Campus Compact for Virginia:

Averett University
Blue Ridge Community College
Bridgewater College
College of William and Mary
Christopher Newport University
Eastern Mennonite University
George Mason University
James Madison University
Longwood University
Norfolk State University
Northern Virginia Community College
Old Dominion University
Radford University
Roanoke College
Southern Virginia University
Thomas Nelson Community College
University of Mary Washington
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
University of Virginia’s College at Wise
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Tech
Wytheville Community College

Campus Compact is a national network of colleges and universities dedicated to advancing the public purpose of higher education by deepening institutions’ ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. Campus Compact comprises a national office based in Boston, MA, and 33 state and regional affiliates.