Carnegie Foundation Designation

The University was awarded Classification for Community Engagement from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a reflection of the institution's commitment to community engagement and to improving community partnerships and initiatives in education, research, clinical care and health improvement. This voluntary designation involves extensive self-study and reflection on the community engagement practices of an institution.

In the Fall of 2018, Theresa Green, PhD, MBA, Community Health Policy and Education Director, was asked by then-President Feldman to co-chair a committee with Glenn Cerosaletti, Director of the University's Center for Community Leadership, to complete the Carnegie Foundation application. They assembled a team of community engagement leaders from across the University with representation from each of the schools. The team met monthly to prepare the application, collect documentation of institutional practices, communicate with community partners and create recommendations to advance community engagement within the University. The completed application was submitted on April 15.

Several successes were achieved as part of the application process. Firstly, the creation of a University community engagement leadership committee and an inventory of the institution's community engagement activities are both significant achievements. Furthermore, an initial database was compiled of several hundred partnerships representing community-engaged initiatives from throughout the institution, and a standardized definition for community engagement is being developed that stresses “mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.” Finally, it was agreed that a centralized office for community engagement should be established in the President’s or Provost's office. 

In the summer of 2019, President Sarah Mangelsdorf replaced President Rich Feldman as the 11th President of the University of Rochester. President Mangelsdorf submitted this addendum to the Carnegie Application. 

Read more about the University of Rochester receiving the designation.