The Renowned Washington Center to Recognize Miami Dade College with Multiple Awards for Service and Faculty Excellence
MDC is the first community college awarded for civic engagement by this organization and the only institution receiving multiple awards
Miami, September 22, 2010 -
Faculty excellence, civic engagement and curriculum-based service-learning are cornerstones at Miami Dade College (MDC), the nation’s largest institution of higher education. In fact, throughout its 50 year history, the college has received many national awards on these fronts. Now, the college will be recognized by the prestigious The Washington Center (TWC) in October with the 2010 Higher Education Civic Engagement and Faculty Leader of the Year awards. MDC is the only institution receiving two awards from this organization this fall, one of only six institutions across the nation to be distinguished, the first community college to be recognized for service by this organization and the only Florida college or university receiving awards. The college will be officially recognized at TWC's Academic Affairs Awards Luncheon and 35th Anniversary Gala October 4.
Miami Dade, the first community college to receive the Higher Education Civic Engagement award, is in great company. It will be joined by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Santa Clara University; The College of New Jersey; Wagner College; and Western Carolina University.
Miami Dade faculty member, Mercedes Medina, will also receive Faculty Leader of the Year award. She teaches at MDC’s Law Center, a leader in legal and paralegal studies.
"Miami Dade College is a true role model for civic engagement in the academic community,” said Mike Smith, president of TWC. “They are teaching students a quality that can’t be learned in the classroom alone, the importance of getting involved, giving back and making a difference.”
The recipient of several other important awards regarding community service, MDC has previously been recognized with the 2009 “Florida Engaged Campus of the Year” from Florida Campus Compact, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for four straight years, and the prestigious 2008 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, among others.
For more information on TWC, please visit http://www.twc.edu/. For more information regarding civic engagement and service at MDC, please contact Josh Young, the director of Miami Dade College’s Center for Community Involvement, at 305-237-7477 or jyoung@mdc.edu.
Media-only contacts:
Juan Mendieta, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu, MDC communications director
Tere Estorino, 305-237-3949, testorin@mdc.edu, MDC media relations director
Sue Arrowsmith, 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu, media specialist
Tarnell Carroll, 305-237-3359, tcarroll@mdc.edu, media specialist