BIG RAPIDS – Dr. Anthony Baker, associate professor of Sociology and director of the Community Studies Institute at Ferris State University, recently was awarded the Michigan Campus Compact Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning Award during the 12th annual Institute: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.
This prestigious annual award is the highest MCC bestows on faculty and staff in the state of Michigan. Baker was designated by peers as the faculty/staff person on campus who has made the most outstanding contributions in service-learning and community service. This award recognizes his influence on and the engagement of students to be involved in community service or service-learning through modeling, influencing or instruction.
He was nominated by Dr. J. Andy Karafa, associate professor of Psychology and interim department head of Social Sciences at Ferris.
“Baker understands the importance of providing opportunities for civic and community engagement to his students,” Karafa said. “Through coursework and field experiences, his classroom offers an introduction to applied sociology. These field experiences provide students with an appreciation for the issues and experiences faced by members of various types of communities.”
Michigan Campus Compact is a coalition of college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the public purpose of higher education. The organization promotes the education and commitment of Michigan college students to be civically-engaged citizens, through creating and expanding academic, co-curricular and campus-wide opportunities for community service, service-learning and civic engagement.