Community Service

In a recent survey of students at almost 500 colleges, an amazing 92% of the Oxford students surveyed had participated in community service. Our students were more than twice as likely to work in a community-based project as part of an academic course than were students at other institutions. In addition, Oxford students contributed over 10,000 hours of volunteer work in just one academic year. 

An Oxford College education thus involves an intentional focus on preparing students to be life-long learners and socially-responsible citizens.  This integration of leadership and service-a more comprehensive view of education-is one of Oxford's strengths and an essential element of Oxford's heritage.

The Pierce Institute for Leadership and Community Engagement is at the heart of these and other transformational efforts.  The Institute's nineteen interrelated programs promote the integration of academics, leadership, and/or community engagement (service), and they operate within four Pierce Institute "pillars":  Community Engagement, Leadership, Global Engagement, and the Pierce Program in Religion. Become one of Oxford's many students whose commitment to improving the lives of individuals in local, regional, and global communities drives them to leadership and service in such activities as, for example:

Volunteer Oxford (VO) is a student organization that operates collaboratively with Campus Life. VO seeks to provide Oxford students with service opportunities that enhance learning about themselves and society.

The Bonner Leaders Program for Service Based Scholarships at Oxford College works to transform the lives of students, the life of our campus, our local community, and the world through service and leadership.  The Bonner Leaders program heightens the overall education of students by asking them to engage in ongoing service work and helping them develop the tools and knowledge necessary to make that work meaningful and lasting.

Theory-Practice/Service Learning (TPSL) courses were first introduced to Oxford College in 1996 as a way of integrating the theory of the classroom with actual experience in the local community. Students in TPSL courses are actively practicing what they're learning in the classroom and forging a service partnership with Newton County.

Ethics and Servant Leadership Program (EASL) seeks to promote the principles of transformative servant leadership throughout the Emory community. Servant leadership is a leadership model that "emphasizes increased service to others, a holistic approach to work, and a sharing of power in decision making." Through teaching and program development, EASL strives to animate, advance, and support these Emory leaders as they develop the power to serve and lead for the common good.