been a supporter of Service-
always believed that students have to
learn to give back," said Cowan. "We
have a responsibility to teach students
that they have to be a bigger part of
their community. It isn't just enough
to live in it they have to understand
what the community's needs are."
of Service-Learning, a credit-bearing
educational experience in which
students participate in an organized ac-
tivity that meets identified community
needs, and then reflect on their service.
ing Program began early in Cowan's
presidency, with a small $2,500 grant
and only one course. Since then, the program has grown
remarkably. Currently, Middlesex offers more than 100
Service-Learning courses and has more than 350 active
community partners. Over the last 20 years, more than 10,000
students have completed more than 234,000 service hours.
only locally, but also nationally. Middlesex was selected by
Campus Compact, a nonprofit coalition of more than 1,100
college and university presidents committed to developing the