Published: May 2, 2005

The University of Colorado at Boulder has been selected for inclusion in a new book, "Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement," to be published in June.

The book is designed to provide information to prospective and current students by showcasing institutions that offer many opportunities for students to improve community life and demonstrate social responsibility.

CU-Boulder, the only school selected in Colorado, was named for its exemplary work in civic engagement along with 80 other national institutions of higher education.

"This selection is a great recognition of our service learning and civic engagement programs and will help support our efforts to make civic and ethical engagement a core part of the education here at CU-Boulder," said Peter Simons, coordinator of the proposed Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement.

Simons is working with a steering committee of faculty, staff, students and community representatives to coordinate the development of the new institute on the Boulder campus. The initiative has raised $600,000 to help fund programs that integrate ethical and civic education throughout the curriculum, co-curricular programs and campus culture. The proposed institute recently awarded its first 10 grants and is helping fund a model project at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

"Colleges with a Conscience" will include a two-page profile on each campus, focusing on programs and practices that support student engagement. Examples of CU-Boulder programs include the Americorps Education Award Program, Business and Society Initiative at the Leeds School of Business, Chancellor's Leadership Residential Academic Program's Service Initiative and Ethnic Living and Learning Community, Continuing Education Outreach Awards, CU-LEAD Alliance and Scholarship Program, Engineers Without Borders, Farrand Residential Academic Program, INVST Community Studies, President's Leadership Class, Puksta Scholars Program, Service Learning Center and Volunteer Clearing House.

Publication of "Colleges with a Conscience" is a joint effort among Campus Compact, the Princeton Review and Random House Inc. and will be available in bookstores June 21. Finalists were selected based on survey responses from state offices, national staff, students, national student organizations and experts in the field of service learning.

Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 950 college and university presidents committed to the civic purposes of higher education, which includes creating a supportive campus environment for the engagement in community service and preparing students to be active, committed and informed citizens and leaders of their communities.

For more information on CU-Boulder's Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement contact Simons at (303) 492-1962 or Peter.Simons@Colorado.Edu.