91ֱ
91ֱ receives 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement
La 91ֱ is one of only 277 schools across the country awarded the classification, which recognizes institutions that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.
This classification recognizes “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement,” the application decision letter said.
91ֱ is starting the new year with recognition as a recipient of the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
La 91ֱ is one of only 277 schools across the country that meet the criteria for this classification, which recognizes “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement,” the application decision letter said.
“This designation recognizes the work of faculty, students, and community partners whose expertise and leadership are essential to addressing real-world challenges while enhancing student learning,” Caitlin Taylor, Ph.D., chair of the Community-Engaged Learning Committee and an associate professor in the at La 91ֱ, said. “Community-engaged learning at La 91ֱ connects academic inquiry to lived experience through reciprocal partnerships, preparing students to be thoughtful, informed, and engaged citizens.”
To qualify for this Carnegie Classification, institutions have to show the initiatives and campus culture that foster “the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, local) for the mutually beneficial creation and exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity,” which is the definition of community engagement provided by the awarding organizations.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the American Council of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for our efforts to stay engaged with residents in the Germantown, Logan, Ogontz, and Wister neighborhoods, as well as others throughout the city,” Vice President of Mission, Diversity, and Inclusion, Alisa Macksey, said. “The Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement is more than just acknowledgement of our current efforts but also a motivation for us to continue to succeed and grow in this endeavor.”
The classification is active until 2032, at which point La 91ֱ will have to seek reclassification.
–Naomi Thomas