Carnegie Community Engagement Classification

Posted by on February 04, 2013

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching invites colleges and universities with an institutional focus on community engagement to apply for the elective classification, first developed and offered in 2006 as part of an extensive restructuring of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The elective Community Engagement Classification provides a way for institutions to describe their identity and commitments to community with a public and nationally recognized classification.  Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Executive Director Sarena Seifer serves on the National Advisory Panel for the classification.

A total of 311 institutions have been successfully classified in the Community Engagement Classification since 2006. Campuses that received the Classification in 2006 and 2008 will undertake re-classification application and review in order to retain the Classification. Campuses classified in 2010 do not need to apply for re-classification at this time.

“The Community Engagement Classification represents a significant affirmation of the importance of community engagement in the agenda of higher education,” said Carnegie President Anthony S. Bryk.  “The Foundation believes that the Classification provides campuses of every institutional type an opportunity to affirm a commitment to community engagement as an essential aspect of institutional mission and identity.”

The Foundation defines community engagement as “the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.” That definition and the documentation frameworks for the classification and re-classification are intentionally inclusive to honor the diversity of institutions and their approaches to community engagement.

Those institutions interested in the 2015 Classification, either as first-time applicants or campuses seeking re-classification, are urged to review the application process, timeline, documentation frameworks, and other information on the Carnegie website before making a decision to apply. Applications are available between May 1 and July 1, 2013, and will be due on April 15, 2014.

For more information, visit http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/descriptions/community_engagement.php

Inquiries about the Community Engagement Classification should be directed to John Saltmarsh at (john.saltmarsh@umb.edu) or Amy Driscoll (driscoll@carnegiefoundation.org).

Contact:
John Saltmarsh, Director
New England Resource Center for Higher Education
John.saltmarsh@umb.edu
617 287-7743

Amy Driscoll, Consulting Scholar
Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
driscoll@carnegiefoundation.org
503 227-9443

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is working toward a more productive approach to educational research and development, joining researchers, practitioners, and expert others on common goals to solve problems in networked communities. Today, our initiatives are focused on creating pathways for student success in community colleges and improving teaching practice. We are an operating foundation located in Stanford, California.