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An Overview
Both our mission statement and our core values attest to McMurry’s emphasis on service. If we truly deem our mission to be worthy, we as a campus community must model service to each other, to the University, and to society.
 McMurry is committed to instilling in our students a belief in the value and importance of service, as demonstrated in our fifth core value: Service as the Measure of Life. In order to enhance the educational experience through service learning, we are introducing in the fall of 2009 a new initiative, “Service Enriched Education (SEE).”
Benefits to You as a Student
- We are all members of the McMurry family. Through service to this university, we commit ourselves to McMurry’s prosperity and the well-being of each individual in the McMurry family.
- Individuals develop pride and ownership in an environment where their service is valuable and substantive. McMurry becomes your university, and you have a vested interest in its future.
- Important leadership skills are learned through active involvement in a work environment. Learning to lead is best accomplished through learning to serve.
- Who we are is shaped largely by our experience of work and not the academic degrees obtained.
- Whether or not this service experience contributes to the advancement of a particular major, it has significance as a context for the development of character, understanding, and of critical thinking skills, which are essential factors in building better communities.
- Your service experience will be an invaluable component to your resume. You will have developed an impressive set of credentials to show future employers after you graduate, which will give you a competitive edge in your post-graduation job search.
- McMurry is not simply committed to your degree attainment, but is committed to insuring that your McMurry experience prepares you for career success, civic responsibility, and personal satisfaction.
- This service experience you gain as a McMurry University student will add an extra dimension to your learning. Your education will be enriched through the practical application of classroom theory. You’ll be well educated and work experienced!
- Your work commitment helps you develop personal characteristics like reliability, teamwork and collaboration, initiative and motivation, responsibility/accountability, quality work and communication skills. These qualities will serve you well, no matter which career path you take.
- We are not an “ivory tower” of academe, out of touch with the real world. The real world is here, and serving here helps to improve the world.
How it Works
The S.E.E. service component will begin in the fall of 2009 with all incoming fulltime freshmen and transfer students, and all new students entering McMurry in subsequent semesters will participate.
Each incoming student will continue in the S.E.E. program through the remainder of his or her college career at McMurry.
Students enrolled prior to Fall 2009 may voluntarily participate in the S.E.E. program, and wherever possible, they will be assigned service opportunities directly related to their major courses of study.
A few exemptions from participation may apply, including student teachers, nursing students, and students performing internships.
For service assignments, students may select from a number of service opportunities and locations on campus and off-campus, and preferences are made utilizing the on-line job matching system available through the Career Services Office.
Total number of service hours for first-time, full-time freshmen will be 288 hours before graduation, which averages out to approximately 2 hours per week during the school year. For transfer students, service hours will vary based on classification. Scheduling flexibility and quality of service experience are key components, and opportunities will be provided for making up hours.
Credit may be given for volunteering with other organizations and initiatives on campus that support charitable causes and service to the campus and the Abilene community.
At the end of each academic year, awards will be presented to exemplary students for outstanding service to the university. 
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