The Governor's Service Awards ceremony is an annual statewide recognition event acknowledging the contributions made by Michigan volunteers. The event is coordinated by the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), the state’s lead agency on volunteerism. The MCSC strives to engage all Michigan residents in volunteerism to address critical community challenges.

Michigan State University was awarded the 2018 Education Service Award by Gov. Rick Snyder.

The award recognized the university by saying: "Michigan State University embraces service-learning and civic engagement as vital methods of fulfilling MSU's mission. In 1960, Michigan Governor George Romney encouraged college students to develop volunteer programs for youth in the schools. The University Outreach and Engagement's Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), originally known as the Office of Volunteer Programs, is celebrating its 50th anniversary for the duration of 2018. The center was the first office of its kind in the United States at the time of its conception. CCEL provides services and opportunities to faculty, students and community partners. From 2014-2016, 53,602 MSU students participated in community engaged learning and/or community service opportunities. MSU has continued to grow and create more ways to serve the community. The MSU Student Food Bank was founded in 1993 by a group of students and MSU staff. The Student Food Bank was the first campus-based food assistance program in the country. Another program, MSU Extension, helps citizens support youth across the state. MSU has long been a service leader and continues to find new ways to engage students in volunteerism and serve communities across the state."