Community Engagement

Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education provides universities the opportunity to earn the for Community Engagement. Achieving and maintaining the signals the ßÙßÇÂþ»­â€™s extraordinary commitment to public purpose through an evidence-based, peer reviewed process highlighting the way in which USF is engaged in mutually beneficial community partnerships supporting the exchange of knowledge and resources. This classification also demonstrates the success of our actions supporting the University Strategic Plan and its articulated commitment to local, national and global partnerships, research and innovation, student success, inclusive learning, and sustainability.
 
The Carnegie application process supports USF’s continued desire to improve our understanding of the depth and breadth of our efforts for the purpose of continual quality improvement. The criteria for this elective designation helps to guide USF in its work to create intentional university community partnerships, strengthening the educational environment for students, and creating a climate for groundbreaking research opportunities for faculty. 


2026 CARNEGIE RECLASSIFICATION

The Carnegie Steering Committee was formed in fall of 2023 and is currently meeting twice per month to collect the necessary information for the 2026 Reclassification.

Carnegie Steering Committee Members:

  • Monica Lee Miranda, Chair, University Community Partnerships
  • Cynthia Brown Hernandez, Office of Decision Suppport
  • Eric Eisenberg, University Community Partnerships
  • Andrew Farmer, Foundation
  • Mazhab Ferguson, University Community Partnerships
  • Timothy Henkel, Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning
  • Mark Koulianos, University Community Partnerships
  • Shruti Kumar, Office of Decision Suppport
  • Jan Melnik, Office of Academic Affairs and Student Success, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ Sarasota-Manatee
  • Caryn Nesmith, Community Relations, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ St. Petersburg
  • Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, Center for Civic Engagement, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ St. Petersburg
  • Michael Severy, Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement
  • Stephanie Skupien, University Community Partnerships
  • Sandra Stone, Office of Graduate Studies, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ Sarasota-Manatee
  • Casey Welch, External Affairs, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ Sarasota-Manatee

The committee is asking departments for assistance to help compile multi-campus data and institutional programming. Areas where we could use support are below.

>> If you can help, please submit your response(s) .

SECTION 2: Campus, Community, and Community Engagement Context

Team Contacts:
Jan Melnik: jmelnik@usf.edu 
Monica Lee Miranda: mlmiranda@usf.edu 

Within this section we are asked to provide a broad overview of the variety of characteristics that influence and shape community engagement across the university. We are seeking the following information from your college, unit or department: 

  1. Title and nature of the activities of any employee(s) with community, civic or public engagement responsibilities within the college, unit or department
  2. How students are involved in the college, unit or department’s community engagement efforts
  3. Highlights, articles or publications about any community partnerships between the college, unit or department and greater Tampa Bay community organizations/agencies (including near our St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses).
  4. Please describe which local, state, national and global events have impacted the college, unit or department’s community engagement efforts (i.e. COVID, State and national politics, social justice and natural disasters) and how
  5. How the college, unit or department tracks, assesses, and understands community engagement.

SECTION 4: Quality of Community Engagement Relationships and Academic Partnerships

Team Contact:
Andrew Farmer: andrewfarmer@usf.edu 

This section focuses on evidence of the quality of academic-community partnerships and the standards and values of community engagement explicitly stated in the . 

  1. We are seeking examples of academic-community partnerships (i.e., institutional, centers, departmental, and faculty/staff) connected to the academic core of the campus—which includes teaching, learning, and research illustrating the breadth and depth of community engagement during the most recent academic year.

SECTION 5: Faculty and Staff

Team Contact: 
Tim Henkel: tphenkel@usf.edu

This section asks for descriptive information about the nature and structure of faculty and staff work and support for community engaged efforts. 

  1. We are seeking information documenting and providing the highlights of faculty and staffs’ engaged scholarship in the classroom, throughout research, within creative activities as evidenced by their syllabi, performances, in press releases, on social media and on news platforms.
  2. We are seeking examples of students, faculty and staff scholarship (conference presentations, publications, consulting, awards, etc.) that have taken place since 2020. Please be specific on how these examples are connected to community engagement.

SECTION 6: Curricular Engagement

Team Contacts:
Cynthia Brown Hernandez: cynthiab@usf.edu
Mazi Ferguson: mferguson1@usf.edu 

In this section we are asked to document the university’s curricular engagement. Specifically, the infrastructure and efforts of our teaching, learning, and scholarship that engages faculty, students, and the community in mutually beneficial and respectful collaborations. We are seeking the following information: 

  1. Examples of courses in your college that engage with the community including the syllabi, and any articles, press releases, social media content and presentations that highlight the work with community partners.
  2. Descriptions and examples of for-credit community engagement integrated in:
    • Undergraduate and graduate research
    • Student Leadership
    • Internships
    • Co-ops
    • Career exploration
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
    • Alternative Break tied to a course
    • Campus Scholarship Program 

SECTION 7: Co-Curricular Engagement

Team Contact:
Mike Severy: severy@usf.edu

In this section we are asked to document the university’s co-curricular engagement by providing examples of programs, events and initiatives in collaboration with the community. Efforts described should include opportunities for experiential learning for students happening outside the formal, for-credit academic curriculum. We are seeking information: 

  1. highlighting co-curricular examples of the ways students and student organizations support departments in community partnerships, including any related articles, press releases, and social media content
  2. documenting unit, college or department collaborations with the community involving students, faculty and or staff including any articles, press releases, social media content

SECTION 8: Civic Learning and Life

Team Contacts:
Judithanne Scourfield McLaughlin:jsm2@usf.edu
Sabrina Shively:katherine72@usf.edu

In this section we are asked to substantiate opportunities at the university for students, faculty, staff and the community to engage addressing critical community issues and contribute to community/public good by providing practical experience with community. 

We are seeking examples of practical experiences of how your college/department incorporate civic skills into curricular and/or co-curricular community-engaged activities and how student learning outcomes are applied and assessed.

Examples of civic skills may include the following, but are not limited to:

1. Critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning
2. Conveys ideas across difference - orally and in writing
3. Seek out and engage with multiple perspectives
4. Listen attentively and with patience
5. Reflexive thinking
6. Understanding of intersectionality
7. Development of cultural humility, empathy, compassion, and courage
8. Opportunity to collaborate and participate forms of leadership

SECTION 9: Community Engagement and Other Institutional Initiatives

Team Contact:
Caryn Nesmith:carynn@usf.edu 

In this section we are being asked to document how community engagement is aligned with or contributes to institutional priorities, and strategic plan. 

We are seeking examples and highlights of community engagement from your college, unit or department that contributes to USF’s strategic plan, strategic goals, and/or areas of strategic focus.

USF 5 Strategic Goals: 
• Student success at USF and beyond
• Faculty Excellence in research and innovation
• Partnerships and engagement with local, national and global impact 
• A diverse and inclusive community for learning
• A strong sustainable and adaptable financial base

USF Areas of Strategic Focus: 
• Analytics and Data Science Integrating USF Digitally
• Biology by Design
• Design, Arts and performance
• Global and National Security 
• Health Society, and Biomedical Sciences
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Sustainability Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences


2020 CARNEGIE RECLASSIFICATION ANNOUNCEMENT

The Carnegie Foundation, after its 2020 application cycle, announced the Tampa and St. Peterburg campuses of the ßÙßÇÂþ»­ as two of 118 U.S. college and university campuses to receive the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. The 2 USF campuses stand prominently among the 7 Florida State University System campuses to earn the classification. The applications for each of the campuses highlighting a portion of the engagement work done across the university are provide here for review: 

USF Tampa 2020 Application
ßÙßÇÂþ»­ St. Petersburg 2020 Application
ßÙßÇÂþ»­ Sarasota-Manatee 202 Application