Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.61
Liaison Tina Woolston
Submission Date Nov. 2, 2022

STARS v2.2

Tufts University
EN-13: Community Service

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.45 / 5.00 Sherri Sklarwitz
Director of Student Programs
Tisch College
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Percentage of students participating in community service 

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 1 of this credit (student participation in community service)?:
Yes

Total number of students:
12,219

Number of students engaged in community service:
3,158

Percentage of students engaged in community service:
25.84

Part 2. Community service hours per student

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (community service hours)?:
Yes

Total number of student community service hours contributed annually:
94,205

Number of annual community service hours contributed per student:
7.71

Part 3. Employee community service program

Does the institution have a formal program to support employee volunteering during regular work hours?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s program to support employee volunteering:
We do not have a program or system for employee community service initiatives.

Does the institution track the number of employee community service hours contributed through programs it sponsors?:
---

Total number of employee community service hours contributed annually through programs sponsored by the institution:
---

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s community service programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data provided is from 2021-2022, as that is the most recent available community service record. Including hours reported to Tisch College of Civic Life and the 50 required hours for all enrolled School of Medicine students (809).

While the community service achievements for students are not recorded on transcripts, there is a recognition during graduation ceremonies (Honos Civicus) for undergraduate and most graduate schools. https://tischcollege.tufts.edu/education/honos-civicus.

Within the university, there are many departments that offer courses that incorporate community experience or service learning with active citizenship. In the Schools of Arts, Sciences & Engineering, this includes American studies, anthropology, biology, community health, chemistry, child development, civil and environmental engineering, drama and dance, English, education, geology, history, Judaic studies, peace and justice studies, sociology, urban and environmental planning, among others. Tisch College inventories these courses annually to help students connect and navigate their interests.

Among the professional schools, internships with a community-engaged focus are an essential component to accelerate and apply learning. The School of Dental Medicine, for example, requires a five-week externship in one of 25 facilities across the country including community health centers, military bases, and veterans’ facilities from its students. Students are supervised to provide high-quality care to individuals whose access is limited.

The School of Medicine integrates community engagement into its curriculum by requiring at least 50 hours of community service into its MD degree requirements. Likewise, an Applied Learning Experience (ALE) is a requirement of the Masters in Public Health Program.

Community engagement is a critical dimension of the Master of Science in Conservation Medicine Program of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Its commitment to the community is expressed in a One Health approach to address health issues facing animals and humans alike and the ecosystems they share.

The Department of Food and Nutrition Policy of the School of Nutrition and its associated program tracks (Nutrition Communication; Food Policy and Applied Nutrition; Agriculture Food and Environment) require community-based internships as part of their degree requirements.

The School of Dental Medicine demonstrates its commitment to engagement and service for vulnerable populations with a requirement of a clinical rotation in the community.

Additionally, many graduate programs within Arts & Sciences integrate community engagement into their curricular frameworks. Masters candidates within the Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Program are required to complete field projects for community partners.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.