UW achieves National Community Engagement designation

The University of Wyoming’s commitment to serving the people of Wyoming has been recognized nationally by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

The announcement was made on Jan. 8. This is the first time in the University’s long history as having met the criteria for the 2024 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.

UW is one of 368 institutions in the nation found to be making significant strides in finding ways to engage with community partners, build on community assets and address a wide array of community challenges.

Director of Institutional Communications for the University of Wyoming, Chad Baldwin, shared the honor with listeners of Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse. 

Baldwin said UW is inspired by the recognition to accomplish more in the community. 

C. Baldwin

According to Baldwin, the Carnegie classification is not merely an award. It is an evidence-based documentation of institutional policy and practices focusing on areas such as institutional culture and mission, curricular and cocurricular programming, continuous improvement activities, and the recruitment and reward of faculty, staff and students.

The University reports that following the 2026 classification cycle, applications will be released every three years. As a result, campuses classified in 2024 will have the option to reclassify in either 2029 or 2032. UW’s classification is valid until 2032, at which time the institution will need to seek reclassification to retain its status.

To learn more about UW’s  National Community Engagement designation, click here.