Silver Cord Award
The Silver Cord Award is a distinguished service award available to students who complete at least 100 hours of community service/volunteering while attending MCC. In recognition of this achievement, recipients will receive a silver cord to wear with their robes during graduation at the MCC Student Awards Ceremony.*
Qualifying for the Silver Cord Award
- Perform 100 hours of community service/volunteer work while attending MCC.
- Complete and report all volunteer hours one month prior to your graduation date.
- Meet with the Coordinator of Service Learning and Volunteerism to gain access to the Silver Cord course in ANGEL. Sign me up ⇒
Defining Acceptable Volunteer Work
- Volunteer work must be completed with a nonprofit or government agency.
- You must be supervised by an adult who is employed by the organization or is an established volunteer who is recognized by the organization. Family members and/or fellow students cannot act as the supervisor nor can they verify volunteer hours.
- You may receive one hour of volunteer work for participating in the blood drive held at MCC once a semester.
- You may receive volunteer hours for helping at religious institutions as long as those hours do not include participation in a religious service or teaching religion.
Hours toward the Silver Cord Award may not be:
- With an organization that you belong to which receives any type of compensation for the volunteer work.
- Reported to satisfy a scholarship requirement (such as the Presidential Scholarship, etc.).
- Court-ordered Community Service.
- Rendered directly to a for-profit institution or organization.
- Supportive of a political campaign.
- Awarded for any in kind or monetary donations of any type including food drives, toy collections, etc.
- More than eight hours in one day.
- Travel time to and from activity.
- Sleeping or personal recreation hours during volunteer service time.
- Completed during time you're scheduled to be in class.
Credit for Completed Volunteer Hours
Completed volunteer work must be reported to be considered. You are responsible for reporting your hours using the Report Completed Volunteer Hours form in the Silver Cord course on ANGEL.**
- Log into ANGEL
- Enter the Silver Cord course
- Click on Forms
- Choose Report Completed Volunteer Hours
- Complete the form and hit submit
You should know that…
- All volunteer work is verified with the supervising agency. Volunteer work that cannot be verified will not be counted.
- All volunteer work must be completed and reported on ANGEL 30 days prior to the your graduation date to be eligible for the Silver Cord Award.
- Volunteer work done as an ongoing commitment with the same agency, supervisor and type of work can be reported using one form per month. All other volunteer work should be reported within 24 hours of completion.
Know Your Responsibilities as a Volunteer
- You are required to engage in responsible social conduct that reflects credit upon the MCC Community and to model good citizenship in any community.
- MCC students are expected to demonstrate qualities of morality, integrity, honesty, civility, honor and respect. MCC may initiate disciplinary action and impose sanctions against any student found responsible for committing, attempting to commit, or intentionally assisting in the commission of any of the prohibited forms of conduct listed in the Student Code of Conduct.
- Submitting false information regarding completed volunteer hours is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
Appeals Process
If your volunteer hours have been denied by the Coordinator of Service Learning and Volunteerism, you may appeal that decision to the Graduation Committee. The appeal must be in writing and you must provide verification from the supervising agency.
Do you have other questions about service learning at MCC? See www.mchenry.edu/service
*In the event that you lose the cord, you can purchase a replacement cord from the Coordinator of Service Learning and Volunteerism.
**Meet with the Coordinator of Service Learning and Volunteerism to gain access to the Silver Cord course in ANGEL.