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University seeks national recognition for commitment to community engagement

�鶹��ý is in the early stages of preparing to apply for Carnegie Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification recognizes higher education institutions for evidence-based institutional commitment to community engagement.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching defines community engagement as a partnership between higher education institutions and their larger communities, which leads to mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. Kent State is committed to developing change agents who transform lives and communities, and this makes community engagement a priority for the university.

“�鶹��ý plays central and pivotal roles in the many communities we call home throughout Northeast Ohio, and the impact of our research and service missions extends well beyond our physical footprint,” says Kent State President Beverly Warren. “The Community Engaged University classification will help us to better tell the remarkable story of our engagement and the difference Kent State is making in collaboration with its partners in the region and the world.”

In 2015, the foundation named 361 campuses nationwide that were newly classified or reclassified as community engaged institutions. Of the 133 new applications submitted for consideration in 2015, 83 successfully earned the classification.

The application process requires institutions to provide extensive data that supports their level of engagement with their communities. The next opportunity to apply for the classification comes up in 2019. In order to meet the criteria for the classification, Kent State has engaged the help of a diverse, campuswide committee. Kelvin Berry, Kent State’s director for economic development and community relations, has been charged with leading the effort. Kent State’s Carnegie Community Engagement Task Force will work with members of the university community, departments and divisions to collate evidence of Kent State’s commitment to community engagement on an institutional level, including through teaching, research and service-learning.

to see a list of members of Kent State’s Carnegie Community Engagement Task Force.

for more information about the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.

If you have questions or want to know how you can contribute to the work of Kent State’s Carnegie Community Engagement Task Force, contact Berry at kberry21@kent.edu or 330-672-3673.

Photo caption: Kelvin Berry leads a meeting of Kent State’s Carnegie Community Engagement Task Force on the Kent Campus.