Belmont University recently received the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. One of 40 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the designation, this honor underscores Belmont’s commitment to community engagement.
This classification is awarded following a self-study by each institution, which is later assessed by a national review committee. View a listing of all institutions that currently hold the Classification endorsement.
“To be recognized with the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is a great reflection on the myriad of ways that Belmont works to be a radical champion helping people and communities flourish,” said Director of Service Learning, Tim Stewart. “Thanks to all the folks at Belmont who shared about the great work they are doing to make the world a better place, and to our community partners who contributed information about the impact of our work together. This recognition serves not only as an affirmation of what we’ve been doing, but also serves as a roadmap for helping us move forward to be even more effective in pursuing life abundant for all people.”
Of the 40 institutions classified in the 2024 cycle, 18 are receiving the classification for the first time while 22 are now re-classified, after being classified originally in 2015 or 2020. They join the 350 currently classified institutions that earned classification in either 2015 or 2020, for a total of 368 campuses that are active holders of this important designation. Among the 2024 recipients of the classification, 25 are public institutions and 15 are private. Nine are Minority Serving Institutions and three are community colleges.
“We recognize these institutions for their exceptional commitment to community engagement, and their work to transform knowledge into meaningful action,” said Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “They exemplify the true spirit of the Carnegie endorsement and the power of serving the public good.”
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 19 years with classification cycles in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, and now 2024.
“Now is the opportune moment to pay attention to these recently classified and re-classified institutions, as they dedicate themselves to fortifying their public purpose missions. Let us draw inspiration from their remarkable contributions through community engagement, enhancing both teaching and research and simultaneously benefiting the wider community,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE.
About the Carnegie Classifications
The Carnegie Classifications are the nation’s leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities in the United States. Utilized frequently by policymakers, funders, and researchers, the Classifications are a critical benchmarking tool for postsecondary institutions. The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation announced a partnership in February 2022 to reimagine the Classifications to better reflect the diversity of post-secondary institutions and more completely characterize the impact that today’s institutions have in society.