Student Leadership and Civic Engagement Receives 2026 Innovation Award
Student Leadership and Civic Engagement Receives 2026 Innovation Award
Student Leadership and Civic Engagement (SLCE) has been awarded the 2026 Student Affairs Innovation Award in recognition of its groundbreaking “Log Your Service Hours” initiative—an effort that has transformed how student service is tracked, recognized, and celebrated across campus.
For years, SLCE has honored students who complete 100+ hours of service through the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). Following the discontinuation of PVSA at the federal level, SLCE responded by establishing the UIC Volunteer Service Award—ensuring that student contributions to service and civic engagement continue to be recognized and celebrated, and that all students, regardless of citizenship status, have equitable access to recognition.
At the same time, SLCE identified a key challenge: while UIC Connection served as the primary platform for logging service hours, many students either forgot to record their hours or were already tracking them through other systems for fraternities and sororities or national programs. As a result, the true scope of student civic engagement at UIC was significantly underreported.
During the 2025–2026 academic year, SLCE reimagined and launched the “Log Your Hours” campaign to address this gap. The initiative represents a systems-level redesign of service tracking—one that prioritizes accessibility, efficiency, and collaboration rather than placing additional administrative burden on students.
A key component of this innovation was intentional cross-campus collaboration. SLCE partnered with Fraternity & Sorority Life, UI Health, and Athletics, working directly with each unit to align processes, reduce duplication, and integrate existing service data. On a large and decentralized campus like UIC, where efforts can easily exist in silos, this approach helped break down barriers and create a more unified system for capturing student impact.
SLCE also strengthened the role of UIC Connection as a centralized engagement platform by increasing awareness among students, staff, and faculty about the importance of tracking service. To support this effort, the team hosted a “Log Your Service Hours” workshop for student organizations, providing hands-on guidance for accurately recording and verifying service contributions.
The impact of this work has been remarkable. Reported service hours increased from 2,938 in 2022 to 8,230 in 2023 and 13,105 in 2024. Following the implementation of the new approach, UIC students logged an unprecedented 31,884 service hours in 2025—more than doubling the previous year’s total. Additionally, more than 110 students are now eligible for the UIC Volunteer Service Award, reflecting a more accurate and equitable recognition of student contributions.
This initiative directly supports UIC’s strategic priorities of student success and community engagement by increasing participation in service, improving visibility and recognition, and strengthening connections between the university and the Chicagoland community.
By rethinking systems rather than adding requirements, SLCE has developed a sustainable and scalable model that enhances both operational efficiency and the student experience. The success of this initiative demonstrates the power of innovation within Student Affairs to foster collaboration, remove barriers, and create meaningful, lasting change.
SLCE’s work serves as a powerful example of how universities can better recognize and support student service and civic engagement—and why it continues to be a vital part of the UIC experience.