UM students help with community projects as part of the annual Big Event day of service. The university has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its community engagement efforts. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has been nationally recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its efforts to support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.
The university is among 243 institutions of higher education nationwide given the Elective Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. The distinction, which is valid until 2026, honors recipients for proven commitment and activity in finding ways to engage with community partners, building on community assets and addressing a wide array of community challenges.
“This designation is validation that UM is committed to supporting, recognizing and rewarding faculty, staff and students to form mutually beneficial and reciprocal partnerships with individuals and organizations beyond higher education to improve conditions and communities for the benefit of all,” said Cade Smith, associate vice chancellor for diversity and community engagement and chair of the work group that prepared and submitted the application.
“Receiving the designation is external validation that we have begun the hard work of fulfilling the mission of UM in a manner that is inclusive, collaborative, connected and relevant to communities across the state and around the globe.”
The application asked each unit of the university, including the UM Medical Center and the university’s off-campus instructional sites, to provide data and narrative illustrating their commitment to community engagement and engaged scholarship. The work group began writing the first-time application in September 2018 and completed the 125-page document in April 2019.
“UM’s commitment to community engagement has continuously developed over the past four decades,” Smith said. “The application involved extensive data collection and documentation of important aspects of institutional mission, identity and commitments to community engagement.”
The evidence-based documentation of institutional practice is used in a process of self-assessment and continuous quality improvement. A National Review Panel evaluated UM’s application and affirmed its commitment to community engagement and engaged scholarship.
Carnegie Management Team officials commended the university for documenting “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.”
“Your institution’s application responded to the classification framework with both descriptions and examples of exemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement,” the letter announcing the classification stated.
Other members of the CE application workgroup are:
- Lindsey Abernathy, associate director of the Office of Sustainability
- Laura Antonow, director of college programs and instructional assistant professor of higher education
- Katie Busby, director of the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning and instructional assistant professor of higher education
- Tammy Dempsey, assistant dean of students and assistant professor in the School of Nursing and director of community engagement and service learning at the UM Medical Center
- Erin Holmes, associate professor of pharmacy administration and research associate professor
- Laura Martin, associate director of the McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement
- Albert Nylander, professor of sociology and director of the McLean Institute
- Erin Payseur Oeth, project manager for community engagement
- Cristiane Surbeck, associate professor of civil engineering
Following the Carnegie Classification announcement, the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement is calling for submissions for the university’s Excellence in Community Engagement Awards. The awards program will celebrate the outstanding community-engaged work of UM faculty, staff, students and community partners. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 29.
For more information about Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, visit http://diversity.olemiss.edu/. For more about the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, visit https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/.