I am thrilled to announce that Buffalo State has received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s 2015 Community Engagement Classification.
Colleges and universities with an institutional focus on community engagement were invited to apply for the classification, first offered in 2006 as part of an extensive restructuring of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. It is a completely voluntary process; a total of 240 U.S. colleges and universities received the classification for 2015.
I want to personally thank all the campus constituents and our community partners who helped us reach this milestone. I would especially like to thank the committee members who worked tireless to complete the rigorous application process: Kevin Railey, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School; Gary Welborn, associate professor of sociology and coordinator for community engagement; John Siskar, senior adviser for Buffalo State’s educational pipeline initiatives; Laura Rao, coordinator of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center; Maureen McCarthy, associate with the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education; Debbie Renzi, VSLC associate; and Nancy Paschke, associate director of publications, College Relations.
It is important to note that 50 campuses out of 133 that submitted an application this year did not receive the classification. It was certainly an arduous review that required a substantial amount of research and documentation.
In the congratulatory letter to the college, the Carnegie Foundation noted that Buffalo State’s application documented “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practice that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement, and it responded to the classification framework with both descriptions and examples of exemplary institutional practices of community engagement.”
You don’t have to look far to find excellent examples of community engagement at Buffalo State—from Great Lakes Center research to the Anne Frank Project to the numerous service projects that improve the houses, gardens, neighborhoods, and literacy levels of families living throughout Buffalo.
The designation, which is valid until 2025, is more an affirmation of our work than a shift in focus. It also provides us with an opportunity to deepen our commitment to service learning and direct us to a clear sense of our mission as an engaged urban campus.
This recognition comes on the heels of Buffalo State’s being named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in early December. The college was recognized for its commitment to volunteering, service learning, and civic engagement that included a whopping 509,278 community service hours on the part of students, faculty, and staff during the 2012–2013 academic year.
I couldn’t be prouder to be part of an institution that demonstrates empathy for others; service to community; an appreciation of our natural, environmental, and cultural heritage; and global thinking on a daily basis. There is much to celebrate at Buffalo State, and commitment to community engagement is high on the list.
