Missouri State University has once again received the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

This recognition is an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement.

Missouri State is one of 359 U.S. colleges and universities to hold this designation, and one of 119 institutions to receive the classification or reclassification this year. Only five other institutions in the state have this distinction.

Engaging with the community

The university originally received this designation in 2010 and joins 75 other institutions nationwide that received reclassification this year.

In its award letter to Missouri State, the Carnegie Review Team said the university’s application for reclassification “documented excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.”

Led by the university’s office of citizenship and service-learning and the office of public affairs support, the collection of data and completion of the application took two years.

“This recognition represents years of commitment by our entire campus community to the public affairs mission pillar of community engagement,” said Dr. Kathy Nordyke, director of service-learning at Missouri State.

Mary Ann Wood, director of public affairs support at Missouri State added, “Our students, faculty and staff continually grow the university’s connection to our community to contribute to the greater good of all society.”

Missouri State has established many community initiatives and partnerships in Springfield and surrounding areas. Among them are Lift Up Springfield/Ozark Valley, Springfield Community Gardens, The Fairbanks Community Center and the Vision Screening Program.

More about the classification

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 14 years.  There have been multiple classification cycles – 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2020.

Institutions receive this award following a process of self-study and assessment by a national review committee led by the Swearer Center for Public Engagement at Brown University. The center is the administrative and research home for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.