South Dakota Mines Gives Back Nearly 2,000 Hours of Community Service in 2020-2021

South Dakota Mines faculty, staff and students spent 1,845 hours of community service in the 2020-2021 school year. Members of the campus community spent this time volunteering at local charities, churches and serving on non-profit organization boards.

COVID-19 limited the amount of time the campus community could spend in normal volunteer activities, but Mines students and employees stepped up during the COVID crisis and spent many hours producing face mask prototypes, hand sanitizer and other pandemic needs.

Mines scholar athletes donated a bulk of the time, with nearly 1,120 hours of community service logged during the 2020-2021 school year. However, COVID restrictions limited the ways in which they could volunteer. In a normal year, Mines athletes typically complete 3,000 hours of local community service. Mines sororities and fraternities also contribute about 4,000 hours of community service in a typical year, that number was reduced in 2020-2021, and is expected to bounce back in future years.

“Service is a vital part of our campus culture at Mines. We're proud that our students, faculty, and staff exemplify the value of giving back to one's community,” says Mines President Jim Rankin.

Mines students are encouraged to give back to the community throughout the year by participating in established programs such as Engineering/Science Projects in Community Service (EPICS), which involves engineering and science students using their expertise to aid community service projects. Student organizations, fraternities and sororities also undertake volunteer work throughout the year, from canned food drives to fundraisers for local charities.