CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa is among fewer than 240 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. UNI has consistently held this distinction since its introduction in 2006, underscoring the university’s longstanding commitment to meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with its communities.

UNI’s successful application reflects community engagement embedded across the institution, from academic programs and research initiatives to student organizations, centers and institutes. Community engagement also aligns closely with the university’s strategic plan and future vision.

“This recognition for the University of Northern Iowa reaffirms our institution’s commitment to the quality of life for residents of the state of Iowa,” said UNI President Mark Nook. “Serving communities across our state continues to be central to our mission at UNI. Thank you to our faculty, staff and students who helped UNI earn this prestigious honor.” 

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is awarded following a rigorous process of institutional self-study and documentation. At UNI, a cornerstone of the application was the university’s focus on designated service-learning courses, launching a Service-Learning Institute, and recognizing and celebrating community engagement across campus. 

UNI’s community engagement is advanced through numerous academic and co-curricular partnerships that address community-identified needs. Included in this work is the UNI Center for Civic Education, which prepares educated citizens who strengthen democracy, an important element for reclassification. Recent exemplary UNI community partnerships have included:

• The Purple Pathway for Paraeducators, a collaboration with Iowa school districts that creates an accessible pathway to teacher licensure for paraeducators.
• The UNI Dementia Simulation House’s partnership with Dementia Friendly Iowa to improve the quality of life for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
• A partnership with Fortepan Iowa to digitize and preserve local historical photographs.
• A collaboration between the Center for Energy & Environmental Education and Peoples Community Health Clinic to increase access to fresh vegetables for food-insecure clients while providing hands-on learning through community gardens.
• A partnership with Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity on the 415 Walnut Collective, reimagining the use of a vacant church property in Waterloo and supporting grant writing through faculty and student expertise.
• Collaboration with the Jesse Cosby Center to expand Waterloo’s urban tree canopy, resulting in the planting of more than 160 trees through student-led fundraising and engagement.
• A Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center partnership with One Cedar Valley that offers the Science and Engineering in Technical Theater (SETT) Camp, blending technical theater education with STEM concepts.

UNI highlights many of these efforts through “UNI Engaged,” a podcast produced by UNI staff and students that showcases community partnerships and engaged learning experiences.

In the 2026 cycle, 237 institutions earned the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, joining 40 institutions classified in 2024, for a total of 277 institutions nationwide. A listing of all institutions that currently hold the classification endorsement can be found on the Carnegie Foundation website.

“Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only fuel science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. “We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors — fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge, and catalyzing real-world learning experiences for students.”

“The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education’s commitment to the greater good,” said ACE 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.”

UNI continues to build on its commitment to community engagement through initiatives such as “Spring into Service: Cats Who Care,” which will unite students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends this spring in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley to give back to the communities that have supported the university for generations. The Spring Into Service is being held throughout the semester as part of the UNI Sesquicentennial Celebration.