HWS Earns Carnegie Community Engagement Designation
7 February 2020 • Service HWS Earns Carnegie Community Engagement Designation
Hobart and William Smith Colleges have been named among only 23 designated institutions in New York and 119 institutions to receive the 2020 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification endorsement. The elective classification was launched in 2005 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to recognize higher education institutions that express their commitment to public purpose in and through community engagement.
"The Carnegie Classification reflects a lot of hard work and our community's passion for making a difference," says Katie Flowers, director of the HWS Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning. "We are grateful for our faculty, staff, students and partners, and we remain committed to ensuring our Carnegie Classification submission is a living document as we continue to learn from each other, find avenues to emphasize community assets, and build upon current successes."
The classification stipulates voluntary data collection and documentation among designees of important aspects of institutional mission, identity and commitments, and requires substantial effort invested by participating institutions. In HWS application, Flowers provided as evidence of how community engagement has become deeper, more pervasive, better integrated and sustained on campus.
"The City is proud of the many collaborations with HWS Colleges. There are numerous examples of the reciprocal nature of our partnership that puts Geneva on the map for being a service learning community," says Geneva City Manager Sage Gerling. "HWS faculty and staff serve on local City boards; students participate in Days of Service and special projects with neighborhoods, intern around the City; and City officials often interact with students through interviews for course assignments and class discussions. I am always grateful to visit classes to share information about Geneva's comprehensive plan and other initiatives, all created and implemented with the collaboration and participation from HWS faculty, staff, and students."
The Colleges were selected for the 2010 Community Engagement Classification designation by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The 2020 classification is valid until 2026.
Many of the HWS and community inclusive programs and collaborations are highlighted here.
