A world where empowered local and global citizens cultivate flourishing, equitable, and sustainable communities through lifelong, transformative learning, growth, and action.
Together with our campus and local to global communities, we foster authentic and reciprocal relationships, facilitate collaborative inquiry and deliberation, integrate robust academic and civic learning, and catalyze individual and collective action for a just and compassionate world.
According to the NASCE survey in 2025, 80% of all students (and 90% of seniors) have participated in some service activity while at Sewanee.
During summer 2025, the Office of Civic Engagement, McClurg Dining Hall, and the South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps volunteers (predominantly Sewanee students) distributed 92,000 meals to school age children who, because of summer vacation, lacked access to nutrition.
Through program participation in Office of Civic Engagement programs, the Sewanee community logged 26,338 total service hours during 2024-2025. This was over 1,300 instances of student engagement in service.
Through volunteer hours, fundraisers, and internal grant programs, the Sewanee community generated $241,632.80 in local economic impact.
412 students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community members participated in the 2025 MLK Day of Service, generating almost 1,700 hours of service, building 60 beds and making 100 blankets and 100 pillows for children in the 7 county area who lack a warm, secure place to sleep.
At the University of the South’s Office of Civic Engagement, we affirm our enduring commitment to community—both local and global—through long-term, trust-based collaborations that honor the assets, voices, and histories of our partners. Rooted in the distinctive cultural and historical context of the South, we recognize that in a rural setting, people and relationships are our greatest resources. We strive to engage with humility, sensitivity, and awareness of the legacies that shape our present and future.
We embrace an asset-based approach, recognizing the strengths, wisdom, and resources within our communities. Our partnerships are reciprocal and mutually beneficial, built on shared priorities and equitable agency. We prioritize the needs and aspirations identified by our community partners towards fostering community development and student civic formation.
Our work bridges on-campus and off-campus relationships, cultivating spaces where stories are heard, trust is built, and social capital is invested. These relationships are foundational to how we learn, grow, and co-create knowledge, moving academic theory into meaningful practice.
As we move forward, we ask: How do we show up on behalf of the university in this moment? Our answer is through intentional, relational, and transformative engagement, where students, faculty, staff, and community members work together toward a more just, empowered, pluralistic, and flourishing society.
To further this purpose, the University has developed a range of civic engagement programs, including extracurricular service, curricular problem-based projects and research, and volunteering. We work in partnership with local, regional, and international community organizations.
The OCE works with community partners to design and implement collaborative projects that strengthen our partners, broaden community, and make connections that last.
Your donation directly funds service-learning initiatives, leadership development, and community engagement opportunities for students committed to making a difference. Together, we can cultivate a culture of service and create positive social change. Donate today and help shape the leaders of tomorrow.
We are excited to share the Office of Civic Engagement’s Annual Report, a comprehensive look at our achievements and activities over the past year. This report highlights the transformative work undertaken by our dedicated students, AmeriCorps members, faculty and community partners in advancing our efforts for community engagement and social impact.
Explore the full report and join us in celebrating our shared successes!
