Recognizing Commitment to Community: UW-Madison and Carnegie's Engagement Classification

Abstract

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching defines community engagement as "the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities...for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.?

Recognizing the importance of these collaborations, the foundation recently developed and offered an elective Community Engagement Classification as part of an extensive restructuring of their classification system for institutions of higher education. In January 2008, the Foundation invited colleges and universities broadly to apply for this elective classification, and UW-Madison chose to become part of this new way of describing institutional commitments to community.

Jocelyn Milner, co-sponsor and document lead for UW-Madison's application for the elective classification, will discuss the nature of the Carnegie classifications since the redesign, focusing on the Community Engagement Classification; highlight the process and content of UW-Madison's application; and touch on how the application relates to the priorities established in the university's 2009 Reaccreditation Project.