Agnes Scott College
EN-5: Civic Engagement

Agnes Scott supports student civic engagement, including offering volunteer opportunities on campus and in the broader community along with tracking capabilities through the online platform, Scotties Serve. The Gué Pardue Hudson Center for Leadership, Engagement and Service promotes service learning opportunities through the Community Engagement Honor Roll, which recognizes outstanding students who give back to the community through volunteering, community-based research, and public service internships. 

https://agnesscott.givepulse.com/group/114641-Agnes-Scott-College

https://www.agnesscott.edu/campus-life/student-involvement/community-service.html

https://www.agnesscott.edu/center-for-leadership-engagement-and-service/community-and-civic-engagement/community-engagement-honor-roll.html 

Student participation was determined by students logging their hours into the volunteer database, Scotties Serve. Scotties Serve tracks the number of the hours, duration and total number of students volunteering for each event. 

Agnes Scott annually hosts “Community Day” for staff and faculty to build community through acts of service.  All other campus operations are suspended  for the day to encourage employee participation. Examples of service opportunities over the past three years have included: invasive species removal in the Georgia Birds Wildlife habitat in order to re-introduce native plants, sorting donated materials from student move-out, installing heat sensors supporting the joint-Climate Resilience Plan, creating handmade cards for children, families, seniors, and veterans and making blankets to be donated to Decatur Cooperative Ministries.

The college’s commitment to service is inspired by its traditions and reflected in the service-oriented accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff. Agnes Scott College recognizes the importance of building positive relationships within the community. The college and our employees are interdependent on the service agencies, organizations, educational institutions, and various resources within the community. Agnes Scott encourages and supports participation in community-service activities that contribute to the community and foster future growth and development needs. Our goal is to help existing community service organizations implement and continue programs and projects that improve the quality of life for the community at large. All regular full-time employees may volunteer and take up to a maximum of eight hours of normal-paid work time within every 12-month period to participate in an approved community-service activity. Community service activity for the purpose of this benefit must be conducted during the employee’s normal work hours.

Agnes Scott is affiliated with the collaborative Climate Resilience Plan with the City of Decatur. Established in 2021, the CRP outlines advancements planned for both the city and the college to implement with an emphasis on climate justice. Both city and college staff present annually to Decatur’s Mayor and City Commissioners, detailing implementation progress and gathering feedback about future implementation priorities. Agnes Scott staff and faculty provide capacity support, technical assistance, and policy development to the city through this partnership.

During the previous three years, Agnes Scott College’s leadership advocacy contributed to the resolution of sustainability challenges faced nationally in response to the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (June 25, 2022). 

The college statement addressing Dobbs v. Jackson pledges our commitment to “use our knowledge, our tools, and our influence in service of restoring full access to reproductive care.” 

https://news.agnesscott.org/college-statements/statement-on-the-dobbs-decision/