Celebrating our National Community Engagement Recognition

Colleagues,

It is with great enthusiasm that I share the news that the University of Maryland has earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, one of the nation’s highest recognitions of institutional excellence in community-engaged teaching, research and service. Fewer than 300 institutions nationwide hold this designation, and we are proud to be among this select group.

Bestowed by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, this classification is the leading national framework for recognizing how universities partner with communities to achieve meaningful impact.

A representation of our mission
This accomplishment carries great significance because of what it represents: advancing our Fearlessly Forward strategic plan commitment to partner to advance the public good.

Earning this classification affirms what we know to be true here at UMD—community engagement is central to the values and identity of our institution, and fundamental to fulfilling our mission as the state’s flagship institution and a public, land-grant university.

Our application highlighted several strengths that distinguish UMD, including strong alignment among our mission, leadership, culture and resources; the integration of community engagement into curriculum, research and institutional practices; and our commitment to sustaining mutually beneficial partnerships grounded in reciprocity, equity and democratic values.

A collective campus effort
The application for this rigorous credential required an intensive, institution-wide self-study and engagement from every corner of campus to document the breadth and depth of community engagement across our colleges, schools and administrative units.

I’d like to recognize Tania Mitchell and the Center for Community Engagement, who led this tremendous and successful effort. Truly, this recognition belongs to all of you who advance this work. It is a testament to the longstanding efforts by faculty, staff, students and community partners.

We are also deeply appreciative of the University System of Maryland, which supported our pursuit of this important recognition. UMD is one of seven USM institutions to hold the classification, and one of four newly designated campuses.

Looking ahead
This designation strengthens our capacity to deepen and expand our work. The Center for Community Engagement will soon launch a new website, expand faculty resources and offer additional training opportunities, including two upcoming workshops in partnership with the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center:

• February 12: Introduction to Community Engagement
• March 12: Cultivating Partnerships for Community Engagement

More information about these workshops and future opportunities can be found on the TLTC’s website.

In addition, faculty will now have the ability to document community-engaged efforts in Faculty Success and identify community collaborations in the new Kuali IRB protocols. More information on Faculty Success is forthcoming from the Office of Faculty Affairs.  

Congratulations and gratitude
I am deeply grateful to everyone across campus who contributed to this effort and, of course, to our community partners whose collaboration makes this work meaningful and impactful.

Congratulations to our entire UMD community! I look forward to our continued work to strengthen community partnerships and engagement in service of the public good.

Sincerely,