Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement – Canadian Pilot
The Carnegie classification has been the leading framework for higher education assessment and community engagement recognition in the United States. The purpose of the pilot is to tailor the Carnegie classification to the Canadian context.
Following a national call for expressions of interest, Carleton was selected as one of 16 institutions across Canada to participate in the Canadian Pilot Cohort (CPC) in recognition of our record of community engagement as a university founded by the community for the community. This group of sixteen institutions was convened in early 2019 to explore the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification and to consider how it might support community engagement in diverse Canadian contexts.
The Carnegie Foundation describes the purpose of community engagement as the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.
The elective classification involves data collection and documentation of important aspects of institutional mission, identity and commitments, and requires substantial effort invested by participating institutions. There are currently 361 campuses with the elective Community Engagement Classification in the US.
As a member of the pilot project, Carleton has the opportunity to shape the new Canadian protocol for Carnegie certification. The focus of certification is the university’s corporate record of support of community engagement and the development and maintenance of strong, mutual relationships with partners.
An application was submitted for certification in 2021. Another round of applications will launch sometime in 2024.
For more information for the inaugural Canadian Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, please visit Simon Fraser University’s website.