UWF receives prestigious community engagement reclassification from Carnegie Foundation

January 9, 2024 | UWF Newsroom

The University of West Florida has been selected to receive the 2024 Community Engagement Classification, an honor designated to 368 institutions nationwide by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This is the second time UWF has received this prestigious classification, with the first being in 2015. With this selection, UWF is reclassified until 2032.

“UWF is uniquely suited for this designation as community engagement isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “As we receive this reclassification, I am struck by the breadth of the University’s local engagement. This honor reflects our dedication and resolve to stand at the forefront of our community by harnessing our resources to create a meaningful impact in Northwest Florida and beyond.”

Colleges and universities with an institutional focus on community engagement were invited to apply for the classification, first offered in 2006 as part of an extensive restructuring of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

The Community Engagement Classification is an elective classification, meaning institutions voluntarily participate by submitting required materials describing the nature and extent of their engagement with the community. Central to the classification process is a “documentation framework” developed by a team of advisers to help applicants and reviewers assess the nature of an institution’s community engagement commitments. In order to be selected, institutions had to provide descriptions and examples of institutionalized practices of community engagement that showed alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices.

“UWF is committed to establishing and maintaining impactful partnerships in our community,” said Lindsey Walk, director of UWF Career Development & Community Engagement. “This recognition highlights the dedication of our faculty, staff and partners in creating real-world learning opportunities for students that also address community needs.”

For more information about UWF’s Community Engagement, visit uwf.edu/communityengagement.

Story pulled from the UWF Newsroom.