Adelphi University Receives 2010 Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation

Feb. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Adelphi is one of 10 institutions selected from New York this year, with a total of 115 from across the United States. The newest additions join 196 others that were previously identified in the 2006 and 2008 selection process, bringing the total to 311 colleges and universities out of approximately 4,000 around the country. A team of more than 20 faculty and administrators worked tirelessly on the application, led by Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Perry Greene, who chaired the Community Engagement Committee along with Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology Melanie Bush.

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. Unlike the Foundation’s other classifications that rely on national data, this classification encourages institutions to apply by submitting documentation of their engagement with the community, which can be local or otherwise. This approach enables the Foundation to identify unique missions and programs that are not represented in the national data on colleges and universities.

In order to be selected, institutions were asked to provide descriptions and examples of institutionalized practices of community engagement that showed alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices.

“This classification is a testament to the University’s strong commitment to local, national, and global communities, and also brings national recognition of Adelphi's progress as an ‘engaged university’ under President Scott's vision and leadership,” said Director of Global and Civic Engagement at Adelphi, Peter DeBartolo.

Initiatives that were highlighted during the process included the Levermore Global Scholars Program, Adelphi Community Fellows Program, Freshman Community Action Program, Global Student Teaching Program, and numerous others that set Adelphi apart as a community-oriented university.

The Foundation, through the work of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, developed the first typology of American colleges and universities in 1970 as a research tool to describe and represent the diversity of U.S. higher education. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education continues to be used for a wide range of purposes by academic researchers, institutional personnel, policymakers, and others. The Community Engagement Classification is the first elective Classification created by the Foundation.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center that supports needed transformations in American education through tighter connections between teaching practice, evidence of student learning, the communication and use of this evidence, and structured opportunities to build knowledge. The Foundation is located in Stanford, CA. More information and a complete list of selected institutions may be found online at www.carnegiefoundation.org.

For more information about Adelphi and its diverse array of community engagement programs and opportunities, please visit www.adelphi.edu.

About Adelphi University: Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 41 states and 60 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.

# # #

Adelphi University, chartered in 1896, was the first institution of higher education for the liberal arts and sciences on Long Island.