During his Wednesday address to the Tufts community, former president Bill Clinton praised Tufts' global outlook, specifically its significant contributions to the Peace Corps. Tufts currently holds the distinction of having sent the largest number of alumni from an institution of less than 5,000 students into the program. Twenty-three Tufts graduates are working in any of 70 countries to reduce problems such as hunger, the spread of HIV, and inadequate education.
In a letter to President Larry Bacow, Peace Corps Chief of Staff Lloyd Pierson wrote, "I am pleased to inform you that Tufts University ranks number one nationally on the list of colleges and universities with alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers," Tufts Public Relations reported on March 4. "Throughout the years, your institution has made a tremendous contribution to this agency's global legacy of public service. This ranking certainly reflects the high caliber of the students who attend your institution."
Tufts alumni are among 7,000 volunteers currently working for the Peace Corps worldwide.
Director of Career Services Jean Papalia said Tufts' long history of community involvement includes not only alumni volunteering around the world, but also the work of the Leonard Carmichael Society by undergrads.
Other service organizations popular with Tufts students are Green Corps and Teach for America. These organizations participate in the University's on-campus recruiting program and work with Career Services on other promotional efforts.
While Tufts has been lauded for its international focus and strong community service commitment, some have pointed to the current economic recession as a possible cause for an increase in student interest in volunteer positions.
Papalia said that while the state of the economy might encourage more people to work for such programs, Tufts students have always shown great interest in volunteer opportunities. "Even in the best of times, our graduates elect these options rather than traditional jobs," she said. "With the weakened economy, it's not surprising to see seniors broadening their employment research to include volunteer or service organizations, especially those that offer stipends as well as funding for future graduate study."
A 1999 Boston Globe article reported that New England schools in general send more alumni into the Peace Corps than do other schools nationwide, but that there was no clear explanation for this trend.
Participation in the Peace Corps is laborious and lengthy. Prospective volunteers must complete an extensive application process, and those chosen are then sent to work for two years, usually in remote villages abroad.
A non-profit fair sponsored through idealist.org will be held at Tufts on Friday, April 5, from10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Cousens Gym to promote similar global-interest organizations.
