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Two Omaha universities have earned national recognition for helping the neighborhoods that surround their campuses.
Creighton University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha both received the designation of “Best Neighbor University” during a presentation at a national higher education conference on Monday.
Only 25 colleges and universities nationwide are chosen for the honor, which rewards schools for long-standing efforts to rehabilitate the cities around them and prompt economic and cultural growth.
The report picked Creighton as the sixth-best neighbor university in the country and ranked UNO No. 25. The University of Pennsylvania was chosen as the top neighbor university. No Iowa colleges or universities cracked the Top 25.
Creighton has invested more than $285 million in academic, student and community buildings that have boosted Omaha's economy and increased civic engagement in recent years, said the Rev. John Schlegel, Creighton's president.
“But even more important are the community service and the community relationships the university fosters at the very heart of our mission,” Schlegel said.
UNO was singled out for the work done by the university's college of public affairs and community service. That college houses programs in social work, criminal justice and public administration and has won national awards for preparing students for public service.
“I believe that UNO is among the nation's distinguished universities, serving as a national prototype for innovative interactions within our community,” said UNO Chancellor John Christensen.
Both schools have extensive service-learning and community involvement programs that send thousands of students into Omaha neighborhoods to do things like build low-income housing, provide free medical care and improve literacy.
Evan Dobelle, the president of Westfield (Mass.) College and the former president of the prestigious New England Board of Higher Education, picked the 25 “best neighbor” universities and announced the list on Monday.
He cited homelessness and health care as two complex issues that universities can help to solve in the areas around their campuses.
“Colleges and universities are doing more and more to support their local communities, and it is a win-win situation for both,” he said.
Contact the writer:
444-1064, matthew.hansen@owh.com
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