Claremont, Calif. (January 31, 2020) — Pitzer College receives the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement from the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching. Pitzer has held this endorsement for 14 consecutive years since 2006 when the Carnegie Foundation first established the program to recognized colleges and universities for their public service work. This is the third re-classification for the College and is valid until 2026.
At Pitzer, five core
values provide a distinctive approach to education, among which is a social responsibility
requirement. One hundred percent of Pitzer students complete a community-based
internship and social justice theory course prior to graduation. In addition,
the faculty promotion and tenure review policies recognize public scholarships
and teaching. Pitzer College established the Community Engagement Center two decades ago to support faculty, students,
staff and community partners in forwarding social responsibility and community
engagement through research, service, advocacy and social change action.
“Pitzer
is honored to be recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for our long-standing
commitment to social justice and community engagement,” said Pitzer College
President Melvin L. Oliver. “I applaud our faculty and staff for their
dedication to providing a unique educational experience for our students and
their passion for the betterment of our greater society.”
This important classification is awarded following a process of extensive self-study by each institution, which is then assessed by a national review committee led by the Swearer Center for Public Engagement at Brown University, the administrative and research home for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.
“These
newly-classified and re-classified institutions are doing exceptional work to
forward their public purpose in and through community engagement that enriches
teaching and research while also benefiting the broader community,” noted
Mathew Johnson, executive director of the Swearer Center.
A total of 359
campuses are currently active holders of this important designation. The
Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for
institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in US higher
education for the past 14 years with multiple classification cycles.
The Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching aims to build a field around the use
of improvement science and networked improvement communities to solve
long-standing inequities in educational outcomes.