The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in Stanford, CA, has classified Otterbein College as a "community-engaged university" in recognition of its "curricular engagement and outreach and partnerships." Only 51 private institutions in the United States were selected for the classification.

The classification, used by the Carnegie Foundation to recognize quality colleges and universities, "represents a significant affirmation of the importance of community engagement in the agenda of higher education," Alexander McCormick, director of Carnegie's classification work, said in a statement.

"The new Carnegie classification recognizes Otterbein's connectedness to our local community," said Melissa Gilbert, director of Otterbein's Center for Community Engagement. "We share this national recognition with the community partners who work with us everyday to strengthen our local neighborhoods and provide deep learning experiences for our students."

"As a 2008 recipient of the President's Award for General Community Service, we knew we were deserving of this honor, but as a first time applicant, this is quite an accomplishment. It is also an acknowledgment of the fine work that our staff and all the individuals involved with engagement on campus have done," said Bob Gatti, vice president for Student Affairs.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has selected 119 colleges and universities from across the country, 68 public and 51 private institutions, for its 2008 Community Engagement Classification. The chosen universities represent 34 states and Puerto Pico.

"We hope that by acknowledging the commitment and accomplishment of these engaged institutions, the Foundation will encourage other colleges and universities to move in this direction. Doing so brings benefits to the community and to the institution," said Carnegie President Anthony S. Bryk.

Institutions were classified in one of three categories: Curricular Engagement, Outreach and Partnerships or Curricular Engagement and Outreach & Partnerships, which includes institutions with substantial commitments in both of the other categories. Otterbein was selected for the Curricular Engagement and Outreach & Partnerships category for its extensive Service Learning curriculum, which addresses community-identified needs, deepens civic and academic learning, and enhances community well-being and enrich the scholarship of the institution, as well as its collaborative interactions with community partners for the mutually beneficial exchange, exploration and application of knowledge, information and resources.

"The Carnegie staff and our panel of advisors were heartened by the exemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement of the selected institutions," said Carnegie Consulting Scholar Amy Driscoll, who directs the Community Engagement Classification process for the Foundation.

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of Congress, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center with the primary mission "to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher." The improvement of teaching and learning is central to all of the Foundation's work. The Foundation is located in Stanford, CA. More information may be found on the Web site at www.carnegiefoundation.org.