West Chester University of Pennsylvania and 114 other United States universities and colleges were selected by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its 2010 Community Engagement Classification. These institutions were added to the list of 196 other colleges and universities that were selected in 2006 and 2008. Only the eight following institutions in the state of Pennsylvania were selected this year: Bucknell University,Elizabethtown University, LaSalle University, MillersvilleUniversity, Muhlenberg College, Saint Joseph’s University, Temple University and West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Institutions of higher education that displayed focus on community engagement and were committed to teaching knowledge to better the community were invited to apply to be considered for the classification. Because the classification is not based on national statistics and data of colleges and universities, this categorization process allows the Carnegie Foundation to highlight institutional goals and uniqueness.
The foundation selected institutions that described demonstrations of “practices of community engagement that showed alignment among mission, culture, leadership and resources.” Amy Driscoll, a scholar who consults with the Carnegie Foundation and the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, explained the selection process. “We noted strong institutional alignment across leadership, infrastructure, strategic planning, budgeting, faculty teaching and scholarship, and community partnerships,” she stated.
Such requirements for the selection were fulfilled by WCU, according to the Carnegie Foundation. As a WCU undergraduate student, I have attended many community events along with the residents of West Chester, and it seems that the location of the University plays a critical role in its community involvement.
Because WCU is situated in such a residential town, students have an unlimited amount of opportunities to communicate with the West Chester neighborhood through employment prospects, community service and as customers of the local businesses. The frequent attendance of town officials like Mayor Carolyn Comitta at our University events also inspires students and faculty to reciprocate such involvement, and to maintain a strong relationship with the Borough and the surrounding area. WCU’s spotlight on involvement in the community and the town of West Chester’s acceptance of students into the area has shone bright enough for the Carnegie Foundation to take notice and choose WCU for their 2010 Community Engagement Classification.
Carol Fritz is a second year student double majoring in communication studies and German. She can be reached at CF716022@wcupa.edu.