St. Mary’s is only one of six schools nationwide and only one in Texas chosen to receive a Presidential Award. The other schools are Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., San Francisco State University, Loyola University in Chicago and California State University in Monterey Bay, Seaside, Calif.

The awards are presented by the Corporation for National and Community Service in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education.

“St. Mary’s University consistently offers an array of meaningful academic service learning programs, and is definitely deserving of this award,” says Patricia Potyka, executive director of Texas Campus Compact, the organization that oversees more than 70 college and university service learning programs across the state. “Much of St. Mary’s success has to do with President Charles Cotrell’s leadership. As the former board chair for Texas Campus Compact, he has been instrumental in creating an atmosphere of collaboration and community building among his students and faculty.”

St. Mary’s students were recognized for participating in the Neighborhood Revitalization Project. This program involves forming strategic partnerships between the university and the community to improve infrastructure and streetscapes, create urban parks, build affordable housing and support a more sustainable business community. Students helped members of the community with resources that address home ownership, credit counseling and neighborhood landscaping projects.

Honor Roll award recipients are evaluated on the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.