UAlbany Recognized Nationally for Community Engagement 

ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 4, 2020) – The University at Albany has been chosen as one of 119 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the 2020 Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Classification.

UAlbany received the designation, which indicates institutional commitment to community engagement, after a rigorous process of self-study and evidence-based documentation.

Each application is assessed by a national review committee led by the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, the administrative and research home of the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. See the Swearer Center release.

“This is a very rigorous and selective process that requires significant validation,” said UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez. “It is thus a major accolade for our University and underscores our continued efforts in engagement and service, one of the five core priorities of the University’s strategic plan.”

The designation will enhance the educational experience of UAlbany students with its emphasis on continuous improvement and embedding public engagement in the community.

Of the 119 institutions classified in the 2020 cycle, 44 are receiving the classification for the first time.

“The institutions that we are recognizing … are doing extraordinary work in addressing their societal responsibilities in and through community engagement and service. In doing so, they bring scholarship, knowledge and expertise to bear in addressing real challenges in our communal lives,” said Paul LeMahieu, senior vice president at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Alfredo Medina, executive director of public engagement and Janine Jurkowski, professor of health policy, management and behavior and associate dean at the School of Public Health, led the pursuit of this designation, along with support from many faculty and staff across the University.

Middle States Commission

Following a third round of campus engagement and feedback, UAlbany is now finalizing its formal self-study report for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The report will be submitted to the Middle States accreditation review team by mid-February. The team, led by Philip Rous, PhD, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will conduct its on-site visit from March 29-April 1.

UAlbany’s self-study co-chairs, Jeanette Altarriba and Jason Lane, will host the review team, which will meet with numerous campus stakeholders, including students and faculty governance leaders, as well as with campus academic and administrative leaders.

“We have great accomplishments to share,” said Lane. “More than 80 of our faculty, staff and students helped us to tell our story by drafting different sections of our self-study in their respective work groups.”

Altarriba added, “These two years of work represent a truly collaborative effort, bringing together members of the faculty, staff, administration and student body in reflecting on our University’s mission and goals, and charting a path toward a strong and vibrant future.”

The final report will be made available online and more information will be shared with the campus closer to the site visit.

Economic Impact

A self-study on economic engagement is also beginning as part of an application for the Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) Universities Program, established by the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU).

The University will formally begin the process this year and has submitted a draft self-study timeline to APLU for feedback.

“UAlbany has decided to pursue the IEP designation in partnership with Hudson Valley Community College,” said Matt Grattan, director of community and economic development at UAlbany.

This new development came about after UAlbany hosted the SUNY Strategic Partnership Conference in November 2019, where APLU conducted a workshop on the designation process.

While each institution will submit a separate application, the two schools will share resources and look to conduct external stakeholder engagement collaboratively.

UAlbany plans to submit its completed application to APLU by May 1, 2021.

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