For Immediate Release March 18, 2005

For More Information Contact: Diane Brown, 317-274-7711 habrown@iupui.edu

IUPUI Named Among Nation's Best "Colleges with a Conscience"

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is one of the nation's best colleges in terms of fostering social responsibility and public service, according to a leading publisher of college guides and a coalition of college and university presidents.

IUPUI is one of 81 private and public institutions in 33 states that The Princeton Review commends and features in its forthcoming book, "Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement." The urban research university is the only Indiana university named to the list.

"A college with a conscience" says Robert Franek, Princeton Review vice president of admission services, "has both an administration committed to social responsibility and a student body actively engaged in serving society. Education at these schools isn't only about private gain: it's about the public good."

The IUPUI Center for Service and Learning, directed by psychology and philanthropy Professor Robert Bringle, spearheads community service efforts on the IUPUI campus. The center incorporates four units: the Office of Service Learning which assists faculty in the development of service learning classes; the Office of Community Service which promotes campuswide community service events; the Office of Neighborhood Resources which orchestrates service partnerships between community organizations and the campus; and the Office of Community Work-Study which involves students in the community through Federal Work Study employment.

The "Colleges with a Conscience" listing also recognizes IUPUI for its Sam H. Jones Community Service Scholarship Program, the largest service scholarship program in the nation.

"As partners with our community, IUPUI students, staff, and faculty have demonstrated how service learning can transform a university education and enhance a community. Indianapolis deserves a great university and this recognition confirms IUPUI as one of the nation's best," IUPUI Chancellor Charles Bantz said.

"Princeton Review's recognition is an obligation to continue expanding IUPUI's efforts and I am very pleased that Professor Bob Bringle and his colleagues at the Center for Service and Learning are leading the way."

"Colleges with a Conscience," is scheduled to hit bookstores on June 21, 2005 . The $18.95 paperback is published by Random House/Princeton Review Books.

The book features two-page profiles on each college selected. Each profile provides detailed information about civic engagement and service-learning programs on campus, in the classroom, and in the community, as well as advice for applicants. The book also includes a section on researching colleges with service-learning programs and gaining financial support for service.

The Princeton Review, which develops college guides, along with guides to standardized tests and careers, partnered with Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 950 college and university presidents, to develop "Colleges with a Conscience."

"Colleges with a Conscience" editors invited dozens of organizations with expertise in campus community service and student engagement to nominate colleges for inclusion. Criteria included: the college's admissions practices and scholarships rewarding community service; support for service-learning programs, student activism, and student voice in school governance; and level of social engagement of its student body.

Working with a list of 100 schools winnowed from a pool of more than 900 nominees, the editors collected extensive data about schools' service programs and policies, surveying their students and faculty/staff.

The 81 schools chosen for profiles in the book represent a diverse range of private and public institutions by geographic region, campus size, and setting.

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