February 2009: Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement
A core value of Weber State University is forming strong partnerships with the local community. We don’t just reside in the community; our faculty, staff and students roll up their sleeves and partner with individuals and organizations to make a difference. Recently I was delighted to receive a letter from the Carnegie Foundation for Teaching informing me that Weber State University has been selected for the 2008 Community Engagement Classification. WSU is being honored for Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships.
Among the more than 6,500 institutions in the United States that are eligible to apply for the Carnegie Foundation designation, only 173 have been recognized for this particular honor. Fewer than half of those recognized are public regional universities like WSU.
The letter commended WSU for “excellent alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.”
When foreign language students serve as translators for patients at the Midtown Community Health Center or sociology students work with at-risk young people in community programs such as Youth Impact, they are engaging in community-based learning.
When students in electronics engineering technology complete a senior project to help Hill Air Force Base update some of its training equipment, they are engaging the community and strengthening partnerships.
When MBA students help local businesses improve their web sites, they are extending their learning outside the classroom and helping local industry.
Whether it’s student athletes reading to elementary school children, or students who complete at least 300 hours of community service in a year to qualify for Americorps, or student volunteers who spend their spring break building Habitat for Humanity homes, community service and involvement are integral parts of the educational experience at WSU.
Brenda Marsteller Kowalewski, co-director of WSU’s Community Involvement Center (CIC) and a sociology faculty member, notes that students learn more and retain information longer and more in-depth when they’ve had a chance to apply their knowledge in a community setting. Pre-med major Darek Eggleston agrees. When he meets others who are majoring in pre-med or Spanish he tells them, “Go exercise that Spanish in the real world. Go translate. Go help.”
Kowalewski believes institutions of higher education have a responsibility to benefit their local community. It’s difficult to document the full impact of WSU’s community involvement, but the CIC tracks certain figures. Kowalewski estimates that WSU students’ contribution to the community in the 2007-08 academic year is equal to more than $1.5 million dollars.
The Carnegie Classification award is recognition of the many ways community engagement is woven into the fabric and culture of the university. This prestigious honor stands as external validation of something we’ve known all along – that faculty and staff at Weber State University provide excellent educational experiences for students in and outside the classroom.
Sincerely,
F. Ann Millner
President