The Princeton Review characterizes the Brown University population as a "Birkenstock-wearing, crunchy, granola-eating, non-flushing, tree-hugging crowd," and calls Brown "an 'activist' place where 'everyone wants to change the world.'" But has Brown been living up to its reputation?
A survey of recent graduates conducted by the Career Development Center indicates that participation in volunteerism at Brown has decreased, according to Peter Hocking, an assistant dean of the college and director of the Swearer Center for Public Service. Only 51 percent of respondents from the Class of 2003 indicated they participated in community service while at Brown, compared to 65 percent of the Class of 2002.
Hocking suggested that any decline reported by the CDC might simply reflect the conservative mood of the country. "I suspect it's a national trend," he said.
"President Clinton really pushed public service," said Hocking - there was a spike in volunteerism under Clinton, who in 1994 became involved in the development of AmeriCorps, a network of national service programs that engage more than 50,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Bush administration has proposed cutting funding for AmeriCorps next year.
Hocking also said that in his 17 years at the University, he has never noticed a decline in student volunteerism, emphasizing that students are continually energetic and motivated to help the community. Participation in Swearer Center programs has been consistent for the last 10 years, with about 900 to 1,000 students actively involved in community service initiatives through the Center every semester, he said. The Swearer Center maintains ongoing relationships with approximately 200 community organizations.
Hocking noted that the data collection methods used by the CDC have changed over the years, perhaps influencing their figures.
Allison Lombardo '05, who coordinates a mentoring program called Citygirls through the Swearer Center, said she has not felt a change in students' willingness to volunteer their time, and added that as Citygirls has developed, the coordinators have become even better at recruiting volunteers. Other student coordinators of Swearer Center programs noted similar experiences.
While Hocking believes the conservative politics of the 21st century may have dampened volunteer efforts, others say they feel the opposite - that if anything, President Bush's reelection has brought on a surge of community involvement, inspiring people to get on their feet and help the disenfranchised. Associate Director of the Swearer Center Claudia Decesare said she could see both sides. "I can see that students might feel like the problems are so big that they don't know how to get involved," she said, "but I can also see that they might be inspired to take action."
According to Decesare, students these days are interested in literacy and school-based volunteer work. Students also seem to prefer work that has a beginning and an end, providing a tangible sense of completion.
According to a 2004 study by the Points of Light Foundation and Indiana University, Rhode Island ranks 47th among U.S. states for rate of volunteerism - in 2003, 23.2 percent of the state's population participated in volunteer activities, below the national average of 28.8 percent.
"I'm not surprised to hear that statistic," Decesare said, "There are a lot of poor people here, and when you're struggling to satisfy your own basic needs, it becomes difficult to donate your time."
Despite Rhode Island's low volunteer rate, a study published by the Volunteer Center of Rhode Island indicates that college-age students in Rhode Island "volunteer at a rate equal to the national norm."
Hocking pointed out that volunteerism is virtually impossible to measure accurately - people do not always report their community work, and definitions of volunteer activity differ from place to place. According to Decesare, "Everyone's interpretation of effective volunteerism varies. I've come to regard every level of civic participation with high esteem. It's all important."
While the Swearer Center offers students a variety of programs to choose from, many students prefer to make their own arrangements, or work with professors on individual projects in and around the community. Community service at Brown, once seen as purely extracurricular, has even made its way into the classroom. One group independent study project, spearheaded by Professor of American Civilization Matthew Garcia, encompasses a service component through which students spend afternoons volunteering at local schools.
While some statistics suggest a drop in volunteerism, the Swearer Center has noticed no change in Brown students' interest in volunteering their time to the community.
