By Labrina VanCliff
The American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching announced that North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is one of 40 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement.
The classification recognizes institutions that have made significant strides in finding ways to engage with community partners, build on community assets and address community challenges.
N.C. A&T first earned the designation in 2015 and is one of 22 campuses that were re-classified in 2024. The other 18 institutions have received the community engagement designation for the first time.
“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.”
“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,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE. “Let us draw inspiration from their remarkable contributions through community engagement, enhancing both teaching and research, and simultaneously benefiting the wider community.”
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.
It is an optional credential for which campuses must apply and undergo a rigorous evaluation. It is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution, which is then assessed by a national review committee.
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. A complete listing of the 368 campuses that currently hold the classification can be found here.
“It’s an honor to receive Carnegie’s Community Engagement classification as a recognition for the collective engagement efforts of faculty, staff and students working alongside community partners,” said Rosalind Dale, Ed.D., vice provost for engagement and outreach. “As a land-grant university, A&T has a long history of partnering with the community and supporting efforts that enhance the lives of our neighbors in Greensboro, as well as community members across the state and around the nation.”
The nation’s largest historically Black college or university for the past decade, A&T has been a community partner and catalyst for change for nearly 133 years. The designation reflects exemplary practices of community engagement aligning with the university’s mission, culture and leadership to support the improvement of teaching, learning, scholarship and research to produce graduates educated and engaged in democratic values and civic responsibility.
In addition to earning the Carnegie classification in 2015 and this year’s renewal, A&T was also recognized for its commitment to economic and community development in 2021 with the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation.
