The Faculty Academy for Excellence and Innovation shares these highlights about community engagement at the University of Indianapolis, along with a reminder that our institutional membership in Campus Compact is yours to use.

UIndy is a Carnegie-classified community-engaged institution

UIndy has been recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching with the 2026 Community Engagement Classification. This is UIndy's third time earning the designation; the university was first classified in 2010. Reviewers praised the alignment among our mission, culture, resources, and practices. The classification remains valid through 2032.

UIndy is one of more than 270 U.S. institutions holding the Community Engagement classification, and one of just 80 private colleges and universities in the 2026 cohort.

That recognition is grounded in daily work across campus:

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100+ Courses engage the community
250,000+ Hours of volunteerism and engagement completed
200+ Collaborations with nonprofit organizations, including Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Exodus Refugee Immigration, and the Burmese American Community Institute

What service-learning is

Service-learning at UIndy is supported by the Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement. It is designed as reciprocal, course-connected work with reflection, not add-on volunteerism. Hour expectations increase with course level, for example in NSE seminars, service-learning labs, and mid-level and upper-level courses.

Promotion and tenure at UIndy can recognize the scholarship of service and community-engaged teaching. This work lives out our motto—Education for Service—and is central to student learning, civic capacity, and neighborhood partnership.

Why this matters for Faculty Academy and for you

The Faculty Academy exists to connect faculty with one another, with teaching and scholarship, and with the University's mission. Community-engaged teaching is one of the clearest ways faculty strengthen student engagement, design meaningful learning, and contribute to service. If you want help designing or refreshing a service-learning course, connecting with the Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement, or exploring Campus Compact faculty development and networks, we can point you to the right next step.

Campus Compact membership belongs to the entire campus

Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 300 colleges and universities advancing the public purposes of higher education. UIndy's membership is institutional. Students, faculty, staff, administrators, and senior leaders can connect with colleagues, use resources, join programs and learning opportunities, and contribute to the national network.

Campus Compact's Membership Toolkit includes campus-wide announcement language, badges, sample social posts, a press-release template, and quick facts. Use what is useful, and customize what you need.

Next steps

  1. Talk with the Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement about course design, partners, workshops, or grants.
  2. Use the Service-Learning faculty LibGuide.
  3. Explore Campus Compact resources and the Membership Toolkit through your Campus Champion or institutional membership contacts.
  4. Contact the Faculty Academy for a consultation on integrating community engagement into a course or documenting it as scholarly teaching.

 

Contact the Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement

Marianna K. Foulkrod, Director (she/her)
Esch Hall 134, 1400 E Hanna Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46227
Office: (317) 788-3557

Thank you for the teaching, partnership, and service that make UIndy's Carnegie classification more than a label.

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