Montana State again earns prestigious Carnegie community engagement classification

BOZEMAN - Montana State University has once again earned national recognition for its outstanding community engagement efforts.

MSU is one of 277 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a classification awarded by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The classification brings national recognition to MSU's continued efforts to engage with external partners in all aspects of teaching, research and service to benefit all Montanans.

"It is an honor to be recognized for the community engagement work that is a core element of what we do at MSU," said MSU President Brock Tessman. "The university exists for the benefit of all Montanans, and it is our constant goal to provide our community the support they have always afforded to us."

MSU has earned the classification for three consecutive applications: 2010, 2020 and 2026.

To earn the classification, MSU submitted an extensive application describing the community engagement work spearheaded by the university. The application highlighted numerous university-community partnerships as examples of community engagement, said Kim Obbink, MSU's director of Academic Technology and Outreach, who led a team that compiled the materials.

As a land-grant university, MSU has a three-part mission of excellence in teaching, research and outreach, Obbink said. In 2024, MSU invested more than $12 million to support community engagement efforts. Between 2021 and 2024, the MSU Alumni Foundation reported over $175 million in donations supporting community engagement and outreach, including donations to Montana PBS and Gallatin College MSU.

"Institutions seeking this classification must demonstrate growth since the previous classification, not only in the volume and quality of community-engaged partnerships but in the policies and practices that promote community engagement across all areas of the institution," Obbink said. "MSU earning the classification for the third time shows our proven commitment as a land-grant institution working to positively impact all Montanans."

Some of the specific university-community partnerships highlighted in the application include:

• One Community in Health: a partnership of the nonprofit Smiles Across America and the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing. This interprofessional team of MSU nursing faculty, nursing students and dental hygienists provides screening, preventive treatment, specialty referral, education and case management for American Indian children living on Montana reservations.

• MSU Science Day/Night: An annual event designed to increase access to STEM learning for local students and families that is upcoming on Feb. 5. MSU staff facilitated partnerships with local schools and faculty, staff and student presenters to offer a daytime hands-on session for hundreds of elementary school students and an evening session open to the broader community, fostering key campus-community connections.
• Shakespeare in the Schools: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, an outreach program of MSU, and Peak Academy, a local school, partnered with the College of Arts and Architecture to engage and enrich both rural and underserved communities with professional productions of Shakespeare plays and other classics and through educational outreach. The performances inspire creative expression and appreciation of the arts in young audiences.

• MSU Snow and Avalanche Workshop: Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, MSU Dean of Students and the Office of Student Engagement partnered to develop and deliver professional education opportunities for student and non-student recreationalists. The program aligns with MSU research on avalanche forecasting by designing research labs and educational programming to help individuals make informed decisions about risk.

• Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MSU: The city of Bozeman and OLLI at MSU work collaboratively with city leaders, businesses, community members and MSU faculty to plan and deliver educational opportunities for the growing population of adults age 50 and older in the local community, enabling them to better understand and engage with rapid growth and change in the area.

In addition to community partnerships, the application also included examples of community work that directly engages students, faculty and staff. The Bounty of the Bridgers Campus Food Pantry, which seeks to combat food waste and food insecurity affecting the MSU community, was highlighted as a project engaging students. The annual MSU Law Day, an event that brings the Montana Supreme Court to campus, was selected as an example that engages faculty and staff who help plan and prepare for the event.

Additionally, the application flagged MSU Extension and the Associated Students of MSU as major entities supporting community engagement with the university.

"This recognition from the Carnegie Foundation demonstrates the high caliber of work of our students, faculty and staff and the strong partnerships they cultivate across the state," said MSU Provost Robert Mokwa. "We are proud of our commitment to growing our community engagement efforts over time as we provide important support and resources to our surrounding communities."

"Applications in this cycle demonstrated how campuses nationwide are deepening partnerships, leveraging community assets and addressing urgent societal challenges -work your institution has advanced with clarity and distinction," wrote Cammie Jones-Friedrichs, director of the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, in a letter announcing the award.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center working to improve education throughout the U.S. It is considered one of the nation's most prestigious think tanks on higher education.

According to the Carnegie Foundation, the purpose of community engagement is to partner the knowledge and resources of colleges, universities and the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research and creative activity; enhance teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.

MSU is one of two Montana higher-education institutions that hold the classification. Additionally, in 2025, MSU received Carnegie's R1 research designation, indicating a very high level of research activity, and is one of only four institutions to hold that research designation along with a "very high undergraduate" enrollment profile.

To learn more, visit https://www.carnegiefoundation.org.