Emory will again seek the prestigious Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, in partnership with the American Council on Education. Emory was one of the first institutions to receive the honor in 2006 and was recognized again in 2015.
The elective community engagement classification analyzes an institution’s level of collaboration with local, regional, national and global communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. Awarded after an in-depth self-study and application process, the highly respected, evidence-based recognition highlights a university’s commitment to partnering with broader communities.
The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for 19 years. Emory is currently one of 358 institutions nationwide that have received the classification.
“Emory is proud of our initiatives that promote community-engaged scholarship, teaching and service,” says Ravi V. Bellamkonda, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “As we undertake the application process, we aim to evaluate and strengthen our sustained institutional investment in systems and structures that support productive collaborations between our students, faculty, staff and our community.”
The application process will be managed by a core team of Emory faculty, staff and students in partnership with an advisory committee, and last for nearly a year, with Emory’s application due April 1, 2025. A public announcement of institutions receiving the designation is expected in January 2026.
“Emory’s community engagement is a university-wide effort that is ingrained in every school and college,” says Vialla Hartfield-Méndez, director of engaged learning in the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence and a professor of Spanish, who serves as the faculty lead for the application process. “Through this application, we have the opportunity to recognize our deep, pervasive and integrated efforts in cultivating partnerships beyond our campuses and to learn from this self-evaluation as we work with our partners in meaningful community engagement.”
Unlike the Carnegie Foundation’s other classifications, which rely on national data, Community Engagement is elective. Institutions choose to participate by submitting required documentation describing the nature and extent of their community engagement and the processes for improvement since prior classifications. This approach allows the foundation to address elements of institutional mission and distinctiveness that are not represented in the national data on colleges and universities.
Learn more about Emory’s application for the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement online.
The elective community engagement classification analyzes an institution’s level of collaboration with local, regional, national and global communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. Awarded after an in-depth self-study and application process, the highly respected, evidence-based recognition highlights a university’s commitment to partnering with broader communities.
The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for 19 years. Emory is currently one of 358 institutions nationwide that have received the classification.
“Emory is proud of our initiatives that promote community-engaged scholarship, teaching and service,” says Ravi V. Bellamkonda, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “As we undertake the application process, we aim to evaluate and strengthen our sustained institutional investment in systems and structures that support productive collaborations between our students, faculty, staff and our community.”
The application process will be managed by a core team of Emory faculty, staff and students in partnership with an advisory committee, and last for nearly a year, with Emory’s application due April 1, 2025. A public announcement of institutions receiving the designation is expected in January 2026.
“Emory’s community engagement is a university-wide effort that is ingrained in every school and college,” says Vialla Hartfield-Méndez, director of engaged learning in the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence and a professor of Spanish, who serves as the faculty lead for the application process. “Through this application, we have the opportunity to recognize our deep, pervasive and integrated efforts in cultivating partnerships beyond our campuses and to learn from this self-evaluation as we work with our partners in meaningful community engagement.”
Unlike the Carnegie Foundation’s other classifications, which rely on national data, Community Engagement is elective. Institutions choose to participate by submitting required documentation describing the nature and extent of their community engagement and the processes for improvement since prior classifications. This approach allows the foundation to address elements of institutional mission and distinctiveness that are not represented in the national data on colleges and universities.
Learn more about Emory’s application for the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement online.