For more than 35 years, the Community and Public Service Program  (CPSP) has been central to the community volunteerism effort at the  University at Albany. Born out of the highly turbulent student protests of the late 60s and early 70s, the first community service project was completed by University at Albany students in 1970.

In 1971, UAlbany’s community service project moved from the Office
of Innovative Education to the School of Social Welfare. Dr. Charles  O'Reilly and faculty member Hedi McKinley organized the structure of the Community Service Project. While the CPSP is administered differently now, the idea of student service to the community and civic responsibility is still a central feature of the Community and Public Service Program. Agencies and students collaborate for an integrated field learning and work experience. Conservatively, we estimate that more than 30,000 students from various academic disciplines have participated in this program. Each year they generate over $1 million dollars in services to the Capital Region.