Honors and Publications

Saint Louis University's Center for Social Action has earned many honors for its service-learning programs and contributions to the communities served. Many SLU faculty have succeeded in placing their work in respected journals.

Honors and Rankings

Princeton Review

In 2023, Princeton Review named SLU the No. 3 university in the U.S. for community service engagement, and SLU ranks No. 9 on Princeton Review's list of top private colleges for making an impact, reflecting student responses to questions about service opportunities, student government, sustainability efforts and on-campus student engagement.

Carnegie Foundation: Elective Community Engagement Classification

This honor from the Carnegie Foundation recognizes institutions' commitment to engaging with local, national and global communities. SLU is one of only 279 institutions nationwide to hold the classification.

President’s Higher Education and Community Service Honor Roll

SLU was named to the President’s Higher Education and Community Service Honor Roll for a record nine consecutive years. Being named to the honor roll is an award given to fewer than 5 percent of institutions nationwide. It is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

Voter-friendly Campus

Saint Louis University has been designated a Voter-Friendly Campus by two national, nonpartisan groups, the Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The Voter Friendly Campus designation aims to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process and develop a culture of democratic engagement on campus.

ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge

For each of the last three election cycles (2020, 2022, 2024), SLU has recognized with a Gold Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for nonpartisan student voter participation efforts in national elections.

Select Publications

Sayans, C., Clark, R., Hudgens, A., Kasten, C., Mughal, J. and Trout, J. (2026). From Classroom to Capitol Hill: Integrating Jesuit Values through Jesuit Refugee Service/USA Advocacy Day. Best Practices in Jesuit Higher Education, 6.2, 1-15. 

Wassel, B. (2025). Career vs. calling: How Jesuit education can help students with vocational discernment. Conversations Magazine. November 3, 2025.

Sokol, B. W., Apprill, M. A., John, L. D., & Peterson, A. (2021). Enriching the vision of Campus Kitchen:  A recipe for justice. Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (Special Issue:  Justice Education), 4(2), 18-28. 

Sokol, B. W., Sanchez, S. J., Wassel, B., Sweetman, L., & Peterson, A. M. (2021). Moral character and the civic mission of American universities:  The Catholic, Jesuit vision of justice education.  International Journal of Christianity and Education, 25(1), 61-82. 

Sweetman L., Wassel B., Belt S. M., & Sokol B. W. (2020). Solidarity, reflection, and imagination: Student formation and community engagement from a faith-based, anchor institution perspective. Metropolitan Universities, 31(3), 116-139. 

Sokol, B. W., Sweetman, L., Wassel, B., Franco, C., & Huffman, T. (2020). Reconciling structural and personal expressions of justice in Jesuit education. Christian Higher Education: An International Journal of Research, Theory, and Practice, 19(1-2), 44-59.