USC Community Relations Timeline

1972
President John R. Hubbard invites Rev. Thomas Kilgore, Jr., founder of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and pastor of Second Baptist Church, to head up a new office called Office of Special Community Affairs.

1973
The office opens on July 1 to cultivate better relationships and develop partnerships with USC's neighbors.

1984
President James H. Zumberge creates the Office of Civic and Community Relations. The office focuses on cultivating relations with its University Park neighbors, identifying economic development opportunities, and serving as a resource to university and administrative units.

1991
The USC Educational Opportunity Programs Center and the USC School for Early Childhood Education become programs of USC Civic and Community Relations (USC CCR).

1992
President Steven B. Sample articulates five University Community Initiatives, which support educational, economic and safety in the neighborhoods surrounding USC's University Park and Health Sciences campuses. The initiatives also address neighborhood safety, entrepreneurship, employment and home ownership.

1993
The USC Good Neighbors Campaign begins annual fundraising drive through which employees of the university make charitable contributions to USC Neighborhood Outreach, a nonprofit corporation.

1994
USC Neighborhood Outreach, supported by USC staff and faculty donations, begins to fund community programs, which advance USC's community partnerships. The USC Family of Schools initiative is created to facilitate USC resources into University Park neighborhood schools.

1996
The neighborhood safety program called Kid Watch is started by USC in partnership with various public safety agencies, including USC Department of Public Service.

1998
USC Business Expansion Network, that includes the Central Los Angeles Small Business Development Center and the West Los Angeles County Minority Business Development Center, become part of USC CCR and continue to spark small business development and community economic growth through its programming.

1999
USC CCR expands community outreach efforts into the neighborhoods surrounding the USC's Health Sciences Campus. The HSC Partner Schools Task Force is created.

2000
Time and the Princeton Review select USC as "College of the Year 2000" based on the university's commitment to community involvement. Also noted is the active participation of its students in service learning projects and volunteerism.

2001
USC faculty and staff pledge more than $640,000 to the USC Good Neighbors Campaign. This funds USC Neighborhood Outreach grants to support 25 community outreach programs and projects in the neighborhoods surrounding USC's University Park and Health Sciences campuses.

2003
USC CCR's staff of more than 120 oversees community, economic development and educational programs. This includes three directors of Community Outreach assigned to serve the University Park and Health Sciences campuses. The new edition of the "USC and the Community Directory" documents more than 260 community outreach programs affiliated with USC.

2007
The USC Family of Schools grows to include 10 schools in the University Park neighborhood.

2007
The 2007 USC Good Neighbors Campaign raised more than $1 million in pledges from faculty and staff. Since its inception in 1994, more than $9 million has been raised. For 2008-2009, 38 community-outreach programs were funded.