UNLV has earned its second consecutive Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement, retaining its status as one of the nation’s top community-serving higher education institutions.
The distinction, awarded by Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education, is regarded as the highest standard of recognition for community engagement efforts at colleges and universities.
Initially earned by UNLV in 2020, the classification highlights the university’s engagement practices, community partnerships, service learning, and community-based research activities that contribute to the public good. And the terms for classification renewal are even more stringent, requiring institutions to demonstrate considerable growth in the scope, reach, and impact of their programs.
In referencing UNLV’s reclassification for the 2026 cycle, Carnegie affirmed that UNLV is continuing to deepen existing partnerships, forming new collaborations, and adeptly pivoting to respond to urgent and emerging community needs, such as challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to address food insecurity.
The classification places UNLV within the top 5% of U.S. postsecondary institutions for community engagement. UNLV is also designated as an R1 “very high research activity” institution by the Carnegie Foundation and is among less than 2% of colleges and universities nationwide to hold both distinctions.
“Community engagement is central to UNLV’s mission. We exist to lift up our region, and this designation is a testament to the work of UNLV faculty, staff, and students who support the needs and improve the lives of people in our community,” said UNLV interim President Chris Heavey. “UNLV has a profound impact on Southern Nevada and beyond, and our work is consistently shaped and strengthened through collaboration with community partners.”
UNLV is one of just 157 public institutions – and 237 overall – that earned the community engagement classification or renewal this year.
It’s an exclusive club. The classification is elective, meaning that it is based on voluntary participation by universities. It is awarded to select universities following a rigorous process of self-study conducted by each institution — involving several years of data collection and documentation of institutional mission, identity, and commitments in the lengthy application. The application is then assessed by a national review committee.
In the letter announcing UNLV’s successful renewal, the Carnegie classification management team lauded “excellent alignment” among UNLV’s campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and “exemplary practices of institutionalized community engagement,” which combine to support dynamic outreach. The foundation called the accomplishment “especially noteworthy” given significant federal policy and funding shifts shaping the future of higher education.
Outstanding Outreach
UNLV’s Office of Government & Community Engagement led the universitywide application process, which celebrated the efforts of more than 750 community partners (a 72% increase since 2020) collaborating on nearly 1,200 partnerships (up 21% over the previous application cycle).
The university connected with state, city, and county agencies, businesses, schools, and nonprofit organizations. Projects spanned all aspects of the community: from addressing gaps in mental and physical health services and providing legal education for those facing post-pandemic evictions to supporting efforts to launch innovative programs aimed at the teacher shortage and augmenting STEM education through science camps and student mentoring programs. And the number of community connections has continued to skyrocket over the past year.
“As a public institution, UNLV has an obligation to invest in our community. And we have doubled down on our efforts to form partnerships around the Las Vegas Valley, around the state, and around the world,” said Constance Brooks Johnson, vice president of the UNLV Office of Government & Community Engagement. “This classification really highlights the dedication and commitment of our students, faculty, staff, and leadership who truly care.”
Meeting Community Needs
Collaboration with Three Square Food Bank on the UNLV Farmers Market was among eight key community partnerships highlighted in UNLV’s application.
The program was launched in 2022 as an undergraduate student project to address critical food insecurity. Today, students from UNLV Nutrition Sciences and other disciplines plan, organize, and distribute as many as 10,000 pounds of food each month to community members living in areas surrounding UNLV and throughout Southern Nevada. The students have put classroom lessons into practice by providing educational information, health services, and resources to recipients. And several local healthcare organizations have joined the charge, amplifying the UNLV Farmers Market’s impact.
By April 2024 — just two years into the project — the initiative had reached over 13,000 individuals across more than 4,000 households.
The partnership with Three Square isn’t limited to the UNLV Farmers Market. Three Square supports the UNLV Food Pantry, offering sustenance, home essentials, personal hygiene items, and school supplies to campus community members in need. The nonprofit and the university also met emerging needs by co-hosting a fall food distribution event for Southern Nevadans impacted by an anticipated federal SNAP funding lapse.
“A community-engaged university has the power to change lives, and UNLV does exactly that,” said Three Square president and CEO Beth Martino. “Whether opening their campus to help families access food at the UNLV Farmers Market or stepping up to host an emergency food giveaway, UNLV shows what it means to be a true partner to the community. At Three Square, we are grateful for their commitment to meeting people where they are and proud to work alongside them to feed our neighbors throughout Southern Nevada.”
ReInvent Schools Las Vegas (RSLV), an initiative housed on elementary and middle school campuses in the urban core of the city, is another vital community partner highlighted in UNLV’s application. The initiative works to develop systemic solutions to better support the academic and well-being outcomes of children living in poverty in the Las Vegas Valley, with UNLV serving as the research and evaluation arm.
The program has reached more than 7,500 children since the partnership launched in 2012. Literacy scores have improved through after-school programming while truancy among student participants has decreased. Since the previous Carnegie classification cycle, the program expanded from four elementary schools to 15 sites. In 2023, UNLV secured grant funding to hire dedicated full-time program specialists to address increased social-emotional needs for children and families.
The partnership has also impacted operations at UNLV, prompting a new focus on applied research and training for College of Education doctoral and teacher education scholars in parent engagement.
“We are incredibly excited to see our RSLV students, families and school communities showing proven gains and positive outcomes due to the combination of partnerships, programs and services provided,” said Tammy Malich, director of the City of Las Vegas Department of Youth Development and Social Initiatives.
Continuing Momentum
The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is valid until 2032, at which time UNLV will need to seek reclassification to retain the status. UNLV collaborators have already begun gathering feedback from partner organizations on their needs to further incorporate them into the university’s strategic community engagement plan, priorities, and mission.
“Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only field science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban, and suburban communities nationwide,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation.
Added American Council on Education president Ted Mitchell: “The beneficiaries of this unflagging dedication to public purpose missions are their students, their teaching and research enterprises, and their wider communities.”
