Georgia Southern’s new Museum of Service chronicles a legacy of giving back
Service to others has been a hallmark of Georgia Southern University since its founding. The University has launched a new campus initiative to honor and recognize those who strive to make a difference in their communities. Urkovia Andrews, Ed.D., is the assistant director of service-learning in the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement (OLCE). She explains more about the Campus Museum of Service.
What is the Campus Museum of Service?
The Campus Museum of Service is an outlet to share stories of how our counterparts contribute within and beyond the classroom walls. This class of honorees represents students, staff, faculty, community partners and alumni who continue to impact our various communities.
The Campus Museum of Service honorees can be viewed electronically by clicking here.
Why was the Campus Museum of Service established?
Our University has a tradition of service. The Georgia Southern mission statement begins with "...our learner-centered culture prepares us to think, lead, teach and serve" and ends with "Our success is measured by the global impact of our students, faculty, staff and alumni." Of course, this includes our community partners.
Knowing our campus is part of a group that nationally wants to provide an opportunity for campuses to install service exhibits to highlight remarkable levels of service made this a natural fit. There are individuals connected to our campus who do outstanding work and this provides another opportunity to build upon our positive relationships with various communities where our University resides. Additionally, it is an opportunity to celebrate the ways in which students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners serve their communities, institutions and nation.
How did you get involved with the Campus Museum of Service?
Our University is part of Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. The Campus Compact organization began the Campus Museums of Service initiative and is working to secure space in Washington, D.C., for a national museum. In the meantime, the organization is working with various higher education institutions to gather input on how this translates on a local level and to develop various guidelines to assist institutions wanting to incorporate this on their campus. I submitted a letter of intent when they released a call for design teams from higher education institutions to join them in co-creating a vision for the Campus Museums of Service Initiative and help create systems, toolkits and resources for higher education. We are now part of the national design team for this initiative.
What is the benefit of the Campus Museum of Service?
According to the National Museum and Center for Service and Campus Compact, some of the benefits of the Campus Museum of Service is to:
- Share stories of those who improve community life through actions.
- Elevate the value and impact of service on campus.
- Inspire and connect members of campus to ways they can serve in the community.
- Create an environment for institutions to engage and highlight community members in their exhibit, resulting in a stronger and more positive relationship with the local community.
What kind of service/project qualifies someone to receive this honor?
Recipients acknowledged in this way are positively impacting their community through long-term commitments to a cause that moves the community forward. It is important to note that this honor is focused on sustained service.
Who is eligible for this honor?
To be eligible for this honor the recipient must be affiliated with the University in some manner (i.e., student, faculty, staff, alumni or community partner). Once nominated, (self-nominations are allowed), the nominee must provide the following information:
- Describe how they positively impact the community
- Identify the community efforts this person is involved in
- Share how this person advocates for the community
- Explain how this person inspires others to serve the community
- Describe how this person’s contributions support the longevity of the University’s strategic pillar towards community engagement
Who selects the honorees?
Submissions are sent to a panel of three judges for review. The judges include a staff or faculty member, a student and a community partner. The specific individuals will rotate but the affiliation to the University will be consistent.
Will this be a yearly recognition from the OLCE?
Yes. This recognition will take place yearly in April, which is National Volunteer Month. This year the physical portion was available on the second floor of the Henderson Library during the last two weeks of April, and was available in the Student Union on the Armstrong Campus through May 12.
Can people engage in the museum through exhibits, photos or interactive activities?
This year the museum consisted of posters sized 18x24 that presented a newspaper vibe. The honoree's name was in bold at the top, their affiliation to the University underneath, followed by a large picture of the honoree on the left and an overview of their service in the right column. There was a QR code in the bottom left corner of each poster for people to scan and learn more about the honorees.
Does the recipient receive a gift with this honor?
Yes. Honorees are acknowledged with a branded Georgia Southern plate that also includes a nameplate, congratulatory card, sticker, and a few other goodies.