UNCW Recognized Nationally for Community Engagement

UNCW has earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. The classification is a prestigious national designation recognizing institutions that demonstrate extraordinary commitment to community engagement through teaching, research and service.

Awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the classification honors colleges and universities that align mission, leadership, culture and resources to foster meaningful partnerships and address needs within the community. UNCW is one of 277 institutions nationwide to receive the designation in the 2026 cycle.

“This designation highlights the connections, knowledge and resources shared by UNCW and our community partners. Through these partnerships, we are able to provide invaluable hands-on learning opportunities for students and support the vital work happening locally, regionally and beyond,” said Chancellor Aswani Volety. “We are proud to serve the community and remain committed to enhancing local and regional access and engagement."

Current community engagement initiatives at UNCW include utilizing community-engaged pedagogy and providing community-based service learning. This is an educational approach that actively involves students, faculty and community members in collaborative, reciprocal partnerships, which integrates community-based experiences into the curriculum and promotes the exchange of knowledge and resources between the university and the broader community.

Community-engaged partnerships take various forms at UNCW, including research partnerships, service-learning initiatives and volunteer programs. These partnerships involve active participation and collaboration between UNCW faculty, staff, and students, and community members, organizations, and institutions. The goal of community engaged partnerships with UNCW is to build sustainable and reciprocal relationships, foster social responsibility, and promote positive social change in the local community and beyond.

UNCW has previously been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a Community Engagement Classified Institution in 2008 and 2015. More recently, it received the Carnegie designation of High Research Spending and Doctorate Production in 2018 and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) designation of Innovation and Economic Prosperity University in 2022.

Founded by the community in 1947, UNCW has grown from 238 students to more than 19,800. Established as Wilmington College to meet a local need in the postwar era, the university has continued to evolve for nearly eight decades, adapting to address the changing needs of the communities it serves. The recognition from the Carnegie Foundation reflects the sustained commitment to leveraging community assets, deepening partnerships and creating shared impact across southeastern North Carolina and beyond.

 LEARN MORE ABOUT the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification