At Clark Atlanta University pursuing community service is no small task, nor is it an activity that is separate from our teaching, learning, research, and service mission. CAU’s service initiatives span a full range of endeavors that allow our students, faculty and staff to be involved in the world around them in ways that benefit them and the people they impact as well as fulfilling our unique Mission that supports and advocates the University’s motto, “Culture for Service,” and the Campus Cultural Creed tenet which states, “I will commit myself to service so I can make a difference in the world and a difference to more than just myself.”

CAU defines Community Service engagement as actions that motivates and seeks to address human need and assists in improving the physical, psychological, spiritual, and/or economic conditions of others. Our community outreach programs specifically implies collaborative relationships leading to productive partnerships with many groups such as businesses, industries, professional associations, schools, churches, governments, alumni, indigenous and ethnic communities, and groups of local citizens that yield mutually beneficial outcomes such as innovation, the exchange of knowledge, and the scholarship of engagement.

The University continually seeks to respond to real need within its regional communities, through provision of intellectual leadership in areas of community interest and concern, offering university resources and facilities for community use, and working with communities for mutually productive outcomes. The University, through a variety of community service projects and events, is engaged to generate and apply knowledge that promotes economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social and cultural development. Furthermore, the University is committed to build an alliance of university-community engagement in order to promote the social, environmental and economic and cultural development of communities.

Clark Atlanta University Community Service Program provides information and opportunities to all CAU students in support of service learning requirements and in conjunction with student co-curricular and student organization activities including an annual Community Service Fair, “A Day of Service.” The Program also afford students to contribute to their communities, learn civic responsibility, and enhance their overall learning experience through volunteerism in community service agencies, school-based programs and special civic events. Our faculty and staff members are expected to render services to the community by working with people and/or organizations outside their professional fields.

Office of Community Service

Bishop Cornelius L. Henderson Student Center, Suite 250
Telephone: (404) 880-8040

The mission of the Office of Community Service is to offer opportunities for students to engage in social and civic activities in an effort to contribute to the improvement of communities while enhancing overall learning and leadership through volunteerism.

The vision of the Office of Community Services is to enable students to become more socially responsible and accountable by providing their services to impact the well-being of others through collaboration with agencies within the Atlanta University Center and the community. The Office of Community Service promotes the spirit of public service at Clark Atlanta University by offering opportunities to students, faculty, staff to participate in volunteer work, providing support for student-sponsored social action that address the educational, social, cultural, and recreational needs of disadvantaged residents in the Atlanta metropolitan area. By organizing programs, which involve Clark Atlanta University students, faculty, and staff in partnership with community organizations, government agencies, businesses, and schools, the Office of Community Service impacts the educational, social, and recreational issues of the citizens of Atlanta. Each community service programs has the same goal of improving the educational challenges of Atlanta’s diverse urban population.

Volunteer/Community Service Opportunities for CAU Students

AIDS Walk Atlanta
PO Box 78187, Atlanta, GA 30357
Contact: Sherri Hamilton, Volunteer Coordinator
Sherri.hamilton@aidatlanta.org

National Urban Coalition for Unity and Peace (NUCUP)
2892 East Point Street
East Point, GA 30344
Contact: nucuppres@nucup.org

Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center of Atlanta (CPRCA)
100 Edgewood Avenue N.E., Suite 1650, Atlanta, GA
Contact: carenetprcatl@bellsouth.net

Kingdom of God International Evangelistic Outreach Ministries, Inc.
4590 Welcome All Road, College Park, GA 30349
Contact: Kingdom2@bellsouth.net

Breakthrough Atlanta
4075 Paces Ferry Road, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30327
Contact: Jill VanLester, Program Director
jvanleester@lovett.org

Carpe Diem Unlimited, Inc.
6411 Elcaudillo Ct., Atlanta, GA 30349
Contact: classe4u@aol.com

Children’s Restoration Network
11285 Elkins Road, Roswell GA 30076
Contact: Gino Payne, Agency Director
ben@childrn.org

Goodwill of North Georgia
PO Box 967, 10 Huntington Road, Athens, GA 300603
Contact: Jon Eury, Agency Director
goodguides@ging.org

Raising Expectations
PO Box 92814, Atlanta, GA 30314
Contact: devin@raisingexpectations.org

Lyke House: The Catholic Center at AUC
809 Beckwith Street, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30314
Contact: Ashley Morris
amorris@lykehouse.org

Hosea Feed the Hungry & Homeless
1035 Donnelly Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30310
Contact: volunteer@hoseafeedthehungry.com

Jumpstart at Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University
Bonner Office of Community Service
Leadership Building, Office 420
830 Westview Drive, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30314

We Do It For The Hood
170 Northside Drive, Suite 204, Atlanta, GA 30312
Contact: glennpair99@yahoo.com

Cultural Enrichment Activities

Clark Atlanta University makes available to its students a wide range of cultural and intellectually enriching activities. Presentations by distinguished actors and speakers, theatrical productions, concerts, and other events are coordinated through the Office of Student Activities, the SGA and other University departments. Students are encouraged to join one of the University's performing arts groups, including the Philharmonic Society, the Jazz Band, and the Marching and Concert Bands.

Several major lecture series are sponsored by various departments, including the C. Eric Lincoln Lectureship in Social Ethics, sponsored annually by the Department of Religion and Philosophy, and the Julius C. Daugherty Endowed Lecture in Law and Government, which under the auspices of the School of Arts and Sciences honors the memory of a distinguished alumnus and brings to the campus lecturers of national and international import. In the School of Business, the Dean's Executive Lecture Series expose students to senior-level executives, and enlighten them about the leadership style and responsibilities of some of the nation's most influential leaders.

Other academic departments also contribute to the cultural and intellectual life of the University. The Art Department annually sponsors visiting artists and exhibitions. Past exhibits and exhibitors have included such notables as: Richard Hunt, Gordon Parks, "Blacks in America: A Photographic Record" from the George Eastman House, and the Printmaking Workshop of New York with workshop director Robert Blackburn. The Department of English sponsors several events that enhance the cultural and academic climate of Clark Atlanta University and the Atlanta community. Foremost among them is the Annual Writers Workshop Conference, winner of the 1995 Governor's Award in the Humanities. Other activities are the African-American Read-In (an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English, NCTE), the Charles Waddell Chesnutt Association (an affiliate of the American Literature Association), and the Annual James Weldon Johnson Gala, a scholarship benefit named in honor of the University's most well-known and distinguished alumnus.

Clark Atlanta University students are encouraged to join one of the University's performing arts groups. Among these groups are the Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society, which has performed in the Caribbean, New York City, at major universities, and at the inaugural ceremony of former President Jimmy Carter; the Clark Atlanta University Jazz Orchestra, which has achieved international recognition, having been invited to perform at major jazz festivals in the United States, Europe, and Africa; and the Clark Atlanta University Players, one of the outstanding theater groups in the region, consistently maintaining excellence in its productions. Additionally, Clark Atlanta University has a hand bell choir, symphony orchestra and both a concert and a marching band. Membership in these ensembles, including the Philharmonic Society and the Jazz Band, is by audition only.

Pre-Alumni Council

The Clark Atlanta University Pre-Alumni Council is one of 38 councils of the National Pre-Alumni (NPAC) which is the undergraduate arm of the National Alumni Council.  The NPAC was created to stimulate interest and participation of students in the programs of the United Negro College Fund, to preserve and to encourage loyalty and fellowship between the member colleges and universities, assist in raising funds during the annual campaign and help them become better alumni while in school and upon graduation.  The National Pre-Alumni Council is the governing body for the Pre-Alumni Councils located on UNCF's member colleges and universities campuses.  The NPAC officers are elected annually during the NAC/NPAC Conference.

Alumni Relations

The Alumni of Clark Atlanta University are the largest, most loyal, permanent constituency of the institution. The Office of Alumni Relations and Engagement (OARE) serves as a liaison between Clark Atlanta University and its 40,000 alumni constituency.  As part of the Division of Institutional Advancement (IA), the Alumni Relations and Engagement staff is dedicated to reaching out to the alumni and works cooperatively and collaboratively to advance the overall goals of the Division and the University.  The core purpose of Alumni Relations and Engagement is to inspire alumni to engage in the life of the university through positive relationships integrating meaningful and impactful programing that preserves lifelong connections to the university.

Alumni Relations and Engagement, for certain activities and programming germane to the University, works collaboratively with the Clark Atlanta University Alumni Association, Inc. (CAUAA), which is a separately operating dues paying membership driven organization.  The CAUAA is represented on the University’s Board of Trustees and is actively engaged in developing a sense of identity for the University alumni.  The CAUAA supports CAU by seeking and recruiting members to its national chapters; providing access to national chapters, meetings, association publications, national and international member contact network; assisting members in professional, economic, and social development; and encouraging members to contribute to CAU through financial and volunteer support.

Mutually, working collaboratively, both the Alumni Relations and Engagement and Alumni Association provide a beneficial and rewarding opportunity to the University and its alumni by strengthening their commitment to each other and to keep the Clark Atlanta University family strong and connected. Alumni Relations and Engagement is responsible for developing initiatives that identify and engage alumni in the life of the University through which they can assist the institution in achieving its stated goals.  The primary functions of the Office are:

• Engage and Reclaim – develop and implement initiatives that engage, reclaim and reunite alumni
• Program Development – develop programs that showcase the value of alumni and programs through which alumni can assist the University in achieving its goals
• Public Relations and Communications – foster relationships among alumni ambassadors, volunteer organizations, and corporate and civic constituents; maintain and improve communication between the University and alumni through targeted and timely messaging, and maintain the University brand, and heighten its visibility
• Recruitment – assist with the recruitment of students by fostering alumni involvement

Campus Communication

Ensuring adequate means of communication among students, faculty, staff, and administrators further enhances the campus environment. Through various lecture series, annual convocations, and presentations by distinguished scholars, activists, political figures and international leaders, an effective campus wide communication system is achieved. The President and the Offices of Academic and Student Affairs conduct regular Town Hall meetings with students and faculty, which provide the opportunity for direct dialogue on issues of concern between these groups and the administration. In addition, important information, events, and activities are transmitted to students through mass e-mails, social networks, and approved flyers posted on bulletin boards situated in strategic locations.

Students are also provided the opportunity to interact with professionals and subject matter experts in classrooms or in informal settings. Many of the visiting lecturers and artists-in-residence appear on the University’s cable station, CAU-TV and Jazz 91.9 WCLK radio station.

Another important form of communication is through print media. CAU constituents enjoy reading CAU Connections, alumni publication issued quarterly, the CAU Magazine published twice a year, the CAU View, an electronic publication designed to keep faculty and staff informed of university related news, distributed bi-monthly, and CAUNOW, an electronic publication of university communications circulated daily.