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The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has been selected to receive the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a national designation recognizing higher education institutions for deep, sustained collaboration with their communities. The recognition highlights UH Mānoa's campus-wide commitment to community partnerships and public service.

Awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the classification places UH Mānoa among 277 institutions nationwide recognized for demonstrating meaningful, institutionalized community engagement.

"Gathering the materials and writing the narrative for our application, which took a team of people over a year to put together, was truly inspiring and honors the ongoing work of so many faculty, students and staff," said Laura Lyons, interim vice provost for academic excellence. "The number and range of projects, both curricular and co-curricular, that work with our partners to better our community is truly impressive."

Serving Hawaiʻi

UH Mānoa's application highlighted how community engagement is embedded across campus culture and operations, from leadership priorities to academic programs, research and service initiatives. Reviewers noted the university's clear alignment of mission and practice, along with concrete examples of long-standing, reciprocal relationships with community partners.

UH-Mānoa has more than 500 community partnerships that allow 87% of its degree granting departments to offer community engagement learning opportunities as part of the curriculum. According to the 2025 National Survey of Student Engagement, 62% of first-year students and 64% of seniors at UH Mānoa had community engagement opportunities in one or more classes, percentages well above peer institutions.

Meeting the moment

The designation comes at a pivotal moment for higher education, amid shifting federal policy and funding landscapes. According to the Carnegie Foundation, institutions recognized in this cycle showed strong alignment between mission, leadership, resources and practices, while addressing urgent societal challenges through authentic partnerships.

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is not a ranking, but a rigorous, evidence-based recognition process that requires institutions to document how engagement is supported, assessed and sustained over time. The designation is valid through 2032, after which UH Mānoa will be eligible to seek reclassification to retain its status.