UI earns national recognition for community engagement

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized the University of Iowa with its Community Engagement Classification, reaffirming Iowa's commitment to community engagement and its leadership connecting education with public service.

The Community Engagement Classification is awarded to colleges and universities that demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to community involvement. It has served as the leading framework for assessing and recognizing community engagement in higher education for nearly 20 years. Iowa first applied for and achieved the classification in 2015.

"This designation highlights how, as the state's flagship university, we serve the people of Iowa through education, patient care, cultural experiences, and economic opportunity," says Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost. "Community engagement is a core component of our mission and strategic plan."

A history of community engagement
The redesignation not only recognizes the impact Iowa has on specific communities through programs such as the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Community Advisory Board but also its commitment to broaden community engagement efforts across campus and weave it into all aspects of its missions of teaching, research, and service.

Iowa's dedication to being a good steward of the community is also a key part of the university's strategic plan, which outlines multiple strategies for extending the university's impact across Iowa and beyond. Examples of this work include:

• The development of new guidelines for evaluating community-engaged scholarship in promotion and tenure as a way to recognize faculty engagement efforts and signal the value the university places on community-engaged teaching and research.
• A short-term grant program established by the Research Development Office to support publicly engaged scholars and increase research projects that benefit Iowa and its community partners.
• Dedicated staff positions in the Tippie College of Business, College of Public Health, and the Graduate College to advance community engagement initiatives.
• A 40-year partnership within the College of Dentistry that places fourth-year dental students in community settings to provide care for underserved populations.
• A campus-wide engagement network and an Engagement Summit that brought together more than 100 faculty, students, staff, and community partners to share successes, address challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement.

A collaborative effort
Earning the community engagement designation a second time was a multi-year effort involving contributions from 120 individuals from every college and major unit on campus. The Office of Community Engagement, with the support of seven faculty and staff on the Carnegie Reclassification Leadership Committee, led the application effort.

"This process really showed how far we've come as an institution and the importance we place on this work," says Nicholas Benson, executive director of engagement in the Office of Community Engagement. "People at nearly every level on campus, from leadership to students, played a role in the application."

Iowa is one of 277 institutions recognized by the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.