Creighton’s commitment to students and the community pays off as it receives recognition for contributing to public good.
Creighton University’s commitment to its Jesuit values was acknowledged as Creighton received national recognition for its commitment to serving the public. Washington Monthly, a nonprofit magazine based in Washington, D.C., listed Creighton fourth in its ranking of master universities that made the most contribution to public good.
The magazine based its rankings on three criteria: research, social mobility and service. In the area of research, schools were ranked on the amount of money used towards research, and the percentage of students who received bachelor’s degrees who went on to earn their doctorate.
Social mobility was measured by the total percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, a school’s projected graduation rate and its actual graduation. Creighton has the Student Support Services program, a federal grant program specifically designed for first generation college students.
“We are committed to providing an education about getting to college,” said Sarah Richardson, Director of Admission and Scholarship at Creighton.
For service, one of the criteria schools were judged on was how many hours of volunteer work students performed each year.
Mary Ann Danielson, Associate Vice President for Academic Excellence and Assessment, spearheads the yearly collection of data on the amount of service Creighton students perform. Data was collected from over 20 different areas on campus, and both undergraduate and professional students were included.
Hours of service were measured though a variety of programs, such as academic, athletic and co-curricular groups, as well as on designated service days and fall and spring break service trips.
In the 2010-2011 academic year, Creighton University students performed 283,829 hours of community service, making service one of the most recognizable ways in which Creighton contributes to the public good.
“Creighton is blessed to have a lot of academic and co-curricular service oppopportunities,” said Danielson.