Sept. 23, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allison Crawford
Co-president, NSCS, Cal Poly chapter
amcrawfo@calpoly.edu
Student Academic and Service Club Wins National Gold
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars has received the gold award from its national group for recruitment, induction and community service efforts.
The society is the nation’s only honors organization for university freshmen and sophomores. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and focuses on members’ involvement in their communities.
Cal Poly members collected their award Aug. 15 in Washington, D.C., at the NSCS Honor Gala. Senta Sample, the NSCS national staff representative who works with the Cal Poly’s chapter officers, said the award comes as no surprise.
“The members of Cal Poly’s chapter have gone above and beyond by creating innovative programs and expanding and improving existing programs and have provided an exceptional experience for their members,” Sample said.
The gold award recognizes a chapter’s engagement and activity, including creation of a student mentoring program, on-campus membership recruitment campaign, member induction ceremony, and campuswide events supporting NSCS’ integrity initiative.
Allison Crawford, co-president of the Cal Poly chapter, said the group has a list of community service projects in which its members engage, including:
- A daily tutoring program for local fourth- to sixth-grade students;
- Food drives and volunteer work for the Prado Day Center for the homeless in San Luis Obispo;
- A ballroom dance and demonstration by Cal Poly Ballroom Dance Club members at the Villages Retirement Home in San Luis Obispo; and
- Volunteer work during the annual nationwide Make a Difference Day. Last October, that involved community service work at a local Boys and Girls Club.
Crawford said the gold award is the second highest for an NSCS chapter. Chapters can also apply for the highest ranking of platinum, she said, and only five of the national organization’s 235 chapters receive that award each year.
Crawford said the Cal Poly chapter is fired up for the new school year and hopes to achieve that higher ranking. “We have a really strong group of officers who all played a role in this success,” she said. “Most of us are back this year. And we have a new adviser who is excited for the new year.”
Nationwide, the group has about 625,000 members. Admission is by invitation only and is based on a student’s GPA and class standing. Cal Poly’s chapter, which began in 2000, has about 30 active members at a time. Crawford said the group’s efforts this year will include increased recruitment of new freshmen students.
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