UIndy earns national recognition for community engagement
The University of Indianapolis has been recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching with the 2026 Community Engagement (CE) Classification. The designation is intended to highlight an institution’s commitment to community engagement.
“Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only fuel science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. “We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors—fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge, and catalyzing real world learning experiences for students.”
The University of Indianapolis is one of more than 270 U.S. colleges and universities to hold the CE classification. UIndy is a three-time recipient and was first classified as a Carnegie Community Engaged University in 2010. Of the 2026 cohort of 237 institutions, UIndy is one of just 80 private colleges and universities to achieve the CE designation.
“This recognition affirms what has long been central to our mission and our strategic plan—that learning at UIndy is deeply connected to engaging the needs of our community,” said Marianna Foulkrod, UIndy’s Director of Service-Learning & Community Engagement. “Our students, faculty and staff work right alongside our tremendous community partners every single day to create meaningful relationships that benefit our city and our world, and empower graduates to lead with purpose.”
The Carnegie Classifications are the leading framework for categorizing colleges and universities in the United States. The Classifications are a critical benchmarking tool for postsecondary institutions and are frequently utilized by policymakers, funders and researchers. ACE and the Carnegie Foundation announced a partnership in February 2022 to reimagine the Classifications to better reflect the diversity of postsecondary institutions.
“The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education’s commitment to the greater good,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “The beneficiaries of this unflagging dedication to public purpose missions are their students, their teaching and research enterprises, and their wider communities.”
The CE Classification is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution. The classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 19 years with classification cycles in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024, and now 2026.
Reviewers of the University of Indianapolis application praised its excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement. UIndy’s classification remains valid through 2032.