Servire
Servire – To Serve
East Carolina University’s motto is Servire – “To Serve.” In honor of ECU’s Centennial, the Servire Society recognizes those who have demonstrated a commitment to volunteer service and challenges the ECU community to serve the larger community external to the university.
Criteria
Each year, the Servire Society recognizes faculty, staff, and students who have contributed 100 or more hours of volunteer service to the community in the previous year. For the 2024 calendar year, the hourly requirement will be 100 hours. The community is defined as being external to ECU and can include regional, national, or global service. The year is defined as January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Qualifying volunteer service for faculty and staff must fall outside their normal job duties. For faculty, the service should go beyond teaching, research, and advising responsibilities. In all cases, there should be no compensation for the service.
For purposes of clarity, volunteerism involves choosing to act in recognition of a need, with an attitude of social responsibility, and without concern for monetary profit, going beyond one’s basic obligations (Ellis and Noyes, 1990).
ECU works with religious institutions and supports some church-sponsored projects. However, as a state institution, our policy is: ECU does not promote, discourage, or discuss religion. ECU also does not discriminate. Volunteer activities which are sponsored by churches or faith-based organizations qualify for membership in the Servire Society if they fall within our policy. Some examples of activities that would not qualify for membership in the Servire Society are: a) engaging in religious instruction, b) conducting worship services, c) providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, d) engaging in any form of religious proselytizing.
Examples of eligible outreach and community service activities:
- Direct Service: Tutoring, mentoring, or assisting non-profits like the Humane Society or the American Cancer Society.
- Leadership and Encouragement: Inspiring and involving others through mentorship or creating service opportunities (e.g., organizing an emergency relief center).
- Emergency Response: Addressing community needs such as disaster relief or critical health issues.
Selection
Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to nominate individuals eligible for this recognition. Self-nominations are also welcome. Nominees will complete a brief online information form to verify their service. This form includes:
- Dates of service
- Name(s) of organization(s)
- Nature of involvement (description and purpose of activities)
- Number of hours at each organization
- Contact information for verification
Recognition
A reception will be held yearly to honor and recognize Servire Society members. All members will receive a token of appreciation for their service, including a certificate and Servire medal and yearly pin.
Membership
Membership in the Servire Society lasts for one calendar year. Renewal requires completing 100 or more hours of service annually.
Application Timeline
Applications are due by March 1, 2025 by 5 pm.
Applicants will be notified in early Spring and will be given details about receiving their award at the University Awards for Service ceremony. The date for the 2024 awards event will be Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Link to the application: https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Is55iGUr04PjjE
Questions
If you have questions about the Servire Society, contact Lauren Howard, Associate Director in Student Engagement and the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at Howardl16@ecu.edu
For more information and to view the service opportunities calendar, visit clce.ecu.edu.