LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A local university has earned national recognition for its community engagement.
Bellarmine University was one of 368 institutions nationwide awarded the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. According to university staff, it received the honor for its work to build collaborative partnerships in Louisville and surrounding areas. It becomes only the second private university in Kentucky to receive the distinction, along with Berea College.
To receive the honor, universities must show they support high-quality community engagement experiences that connect to classroom learning and deliver measurable outcomes.
“This recognition celebrates an intentional effort at Bellarmine over the past five years to make community engagement a central component of our student experience while also meeting vital community needs,” said Susan M. Donovan, Bellarmine president. "This work has enriched student learning opportunities and contributed to their sense of wellness and purpose. It has also reinforced Bellarmine’s longstanding commitment as a Catholic institution to serve ‘for and with’ those in greatest need in the community.”
According to the university, Bellarmine students engaged in more than 20,000 hours of community service last year. One organization that benefited from their work was Kentucky Refugee Ministries, where students completed academic internships and volunteered for its annual Knights in Action day in August.
"We’re grateful for the strong partnership we enjoy with Bellarmine,” said Adrienne Eisenmenger, family and youth services manager for Kentucky Refugee Ministries. “The ongoing investment the university has made into promoting community engagement among students and campus organizations has made a significant impact on our organization in terms of volunteers and internships, donated items for incoming refugee and immigrant students, and educational support services for our rising college students.”
The university's Center for Community Engagement opened in 2020 and is led by Liz Todd Byron, who coordinated its Carnegie Classification application. Since opening, it has helped students gain experiential learning opportunities while meeting community needs.
Obtaining the distinction was a goal Todd Byron had in Bellarmine's 2019 strategic plan, "Tradition and Transformation," according to the university. The Carnegie Classification describes community engagement as mutually beneficial work between universities and their surrounding communities.
“We recognize these institutions for their exceptional commitment to community engagement, and their work to transform knowledge into meaningful action,” said Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “They exemplify the true spirit of the Carnegie endorsement and the power of serving the public good.”
Bellarmine was one of 18 U.S. institutions to receive the honor for the first time. The Carnegie Classifications are the nation's leading framework for categorizing and describing U.S. colleges and universities.