Marquette is now one of 361 universities around the country selected to receive the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification, the university announced last week.

The classification reviews alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement. A total of 240 universities gained the classification this year. The classification is valid through 2025.

Anthony Bryk, president of the Carnegie Foundation, said the university “responded to the classification framework with both descriptions and examples of exemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement. The application also documented evidence of community engagement in a coherent and compelling response to the framework’s inquiry.”

“The university identified the classification during the strategic planning process and is articulated as an objective in the social responsibility and community engagement theme,” said university spokesman Andy Brodzeller.

The university’s strategic plan specifically states that one of its goals is to distinguish Marquette as a university in which ethics, service, and the promotion of justice are key elements of the student experience.

“Numerous offices and individuals around campus helped collect the necessary documents and information to receive the classification,” Brodzeller said. “The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is a reflection of Marquette’s mission and history as a Jesuit, Catholic university that is committed to serving and improving the communities in which we live.”

The Carnegie Foundation is also the group in charge of classifying schools for their levels of research, including high research activity, very high research activity and doctoral/research activity. Marquette has identified a goal in its strategic plan to achieve the “high research activity.”