We’ve accomplished a lot together since 1993, and our partnerships have changed lives. Each of these accomplishments is a testament to collaborations on campus, with the community, or both. As much as we’ve achieved together, we’re always working to do more and to do it better.
Senior Scholar, Chancellor's Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Philanthropic Studies, Founding Executive Director of the IUPUI (now IU Indianapolis) Center for Service and Learning
Senior Scholar
1993: An IUPUI (renamed IU Indianapolis in 2024) team attends the national Campus Compact Summer Institute for Integrating Service in Academic Study; the Office of Service Learning is established in November.
1994: The United Way Day of Caring begins as the first campuswide volunteer service event.
1995: IUPUI Chancellor Bepko endorses President Clinton’s America Reads Challenge, and tutoring K–8 youth begins through the strategic use of community work-study.
1996: IUPUI is one of four campuses selected nationwide to participate in the Kellogg Peer Review of Professional Service project; results in documenting service at IU.
1997: The Office of Neighborhood Partnerships is established; receives the HUD-Community Outreach Partnership Center with the Westside Cooperative Organization to support mutually identified goals.
1998: IUPUI is selected by national Campus Compact as a model program; Dr. Robert G. Bringle receives the national Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award as an outstanding service learning educator.
1999: The Community Service Scholarship Program, named in honor of community leader and advocate Sam H. Jones, is solidified through Commitment to Excellence funds.
2000: IUPUI is one of 12 universities selected to participate in the Community Higher Education Service Project, hosting a team from the University of the Free State in South Africa and sending a consulting team to South Africa.
2001: The American Association of State Colleges and Universities selects IUPUI as a campus that demonstrates a high level of commitment to civic engagement.
2002: U.S. News & World Report, in their "America’s Best Colleges" edition, recognizes IUPUI for its excellence in service learning programs, an honor that becomes an annual tradition.
2003: The scholarship program is renamed the Sam H. Jones Community Service Scholarship Program in honor of Sam Jones, the lifelong civic leader of the Urban League; IUPUI designates Commitment to Excellence funds for civic engagement.
2004: IUPUI Chancellor Bantz establishes the Chancellor’s Civic Engagement Awards for Faculty and Community.
2005: IUPUI is selected as one of 12 campuses to assist in the design of the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement and receives the formal designation in 2006.
2006: IUPUI is one of three universities to receive the inaugural Presidential Award by the Corporation for National and Community Service for exceptional accomplishments and distinction for Hurricane Katrina relief.
2007: The Center for Service and Learning Research Collaborative received a designation as a campus Signature Center to convene scholars and to advance research, particularly through the IUPUI Book Series on Service Learning Research (Stylus).
2008: The Center for Service and Learning hosts third annual conference on international service learning and a symposium for student civic outcomes in collaboration with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
2009: IUPUI is recognized as one of the top five “Best Neighbor” colleges and universities in the nation at the annual conference of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.
2010: The Center for Service and Learning hosts the 10th Annual International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) Conference, attracting 404 attendees from 44 states and 13 countries.
2011: The Center for Service and Learning, in collaboration with campus colleagues and George Washington Community Schools, establishes the Midwest Center for University-Assisted Community Schools.
2012: The Center for Service and Learning establishes the Robert G. Bringle Community Engagement Showcase in honor of retiring executive director Robert Bringle; Julie Hatcher is appointed as new executive director.
2013: IUPUI is selected as one of 73 campuses nationwide to participate in NASPA’s LEAD Initiative on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement.
2014: IUPUI Chancellor Paydar leads campus strategic planning, including a goal of “deepening campus commitment to community engagement”; the Office of Community Engagement is established.
2015: IUPUI (renamed IU Indianapolis in 2024) is successfully reclassified for the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement for both curricular engagement and community partnerships.
2016: The Center for Service and Learning collaborates with the Office of Academic Affairs to facilitate the faculty learning community on public scholarship; language for public scholarship is integrated into campus-level promotion and tenure guidelines.
2017: The Center for Service and Learning joins a national network of Bonner Scholar Leader schools.
2018: The Center for Service and Learning celebrates its 25 th anniversary by co-sponsoring the national Campus Compact Presidential Reception, hosting the 10th Annual Research Academy, and capturing stories of engagement across the years.
2019: The Center for Service and Learning becomes part of the Institute for Engaged Learning and joins in the mission to promote equitable access to engaged learning opportunities for all students.
2020: The Center for Service and Learning provides resources to navigate challenges brought on by the pandemic for those who want to continue service learning.
2021–Present: The Center for Service and Learning continues to develop service learning programs, research, and resources that are educationally meaningful and full of impact to support and bring together IU Indianapolis faculty, staff, and students with the Indianapolis community.
