New York Campus Compact hires Days as its first executive director

The executive committee of the New York Campus Compact has named Kevin Michael Days as the compact's first executive director. Days will lead the rapidly growing association of college and university presidents and their campuses committed to promoting active citizenship as an aim of higher education.

The New York Campus Compact, with its office at Cornell, provides statewide leadership in supporting and increasing faculty and student involvement in public service in order to develop in students the knowledge, values, skills and habits of civic responsibility and democratic participation.

New York Campus Compact is one of 27 state compacts in the country. At present, 51 colleges and universities are members of the New York Campus Compact. Since its inception in October 2001, the association has served a wide spectrum of two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities -- including Cornell -- throughout the state. The state association serves its members by procuring and disseminating resources and coordinating faculty development and staff training opportunities related to its mission.

Days previously served as executive director of the Booker T. Washington Community Center (BTW) in Auburn, N.Y. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the multicultural, community-based service agency. Under his leadership, the BTW experienced a renaissance as a locus of community activity. It expanded its programs and services by establishing collaborative programs with other Auburn and Cayuga County institutions to create a positive environment for the youth of the city and county.

Days' current interest in promoting community service and service learning on college and university campuses comes from a long history of advocating for the involvement of students in community service. Says Days: "I have seen the transformative power of the work that comes from allowing students to give back to the larger community. The learning that ensues from such experiences enables students to develop their citizenship skills and values."

His current community involvement includes service as a member of the Cayuga County NAACP board of directors, the Human Services Coalition of Cayuga County and the Auburn Board of Education, as well as numerous other community organizations. Days holds an undergraduate degree in history from SUNY Plattsburgh and a master's degree in American history from Cornell. He also has completed advanced graduate study in history at Cornell.

Christopher C. Dahl, president of SUNY Geneseo and co-chair of the New York Campus Compact, in making the announcement of Days' appointment, said: "We are thrilled to have Kevin Days accept the position of executive director of the New York Campus Compact. He has proven his mettle as a leader of complex organizations and as a committed advocate for community development and social change. His leadership of the New York Campus Compact will surely enable us to build our membership and resources, and to impact positively on the community life of the residents of New York state."

For additional information on the New York Campus Compact, see this web site: www.psc.cornell.edu/nycc/.