Community-Engaged Scholarship
The University seeks to cultivate in its students ... a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, and oppression that burden the lives of so many. The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice.
—From Notre Dame’s Mission Statement
- Introduction
- Carnegie Classification
- Director of Academic Community Engagement
- Community Engagement Coordinating Council (CECC)
- EngageND Database
- Faculty Support, Training, and Grants
Introduction
Notre Dame endeavors to be an active, collaborative member of its local, national, and international communities through individual initiatives as well as sustained partnerships and commitments that align with our teaching and research missions.
This level of engagement could not happen without Notre Dame faculty. Whether pursuing research or creative work with a local focus or developing community-based learning and other opportunities for our students across the globe, faculty translate the University’s aspirations into real-world impact.
You can learn more about community-engaged scholarship at:
Carnegie Classification
The University has been honored by the Carnegie Foundation with its Community Engagement Classification since 2011. This 2020 summary of Notre Dame’s application for the classification documents outreach and initiatives across the University’s colleges, institutes, and centers.
Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., has noted that “Recognition from the Carnegie Foundation is one of the best markers of progress in the field of higher education. Eminently consistent with the University’s mission and Catholic character, classification as an institution of Community Engagement affirms Notre Dame’s efforts to address challenges and improve the quality of life in communities near and far.”
Director of Academic Community Engagement
Jay Brandenberger, associate director of the Center for Social Concerns and its director for assessment and engaged scholarship, has served as director of academic community engagement within the Office of the Provost since 2018. Brandenberger chairs the Community Engagement Coordinating Council and works to integrate and amplify efforts of the many entities on and off campus that facilitate academic engagement.
Community Engagement Coordinating Council (CECC)
Comprised of representatives of each college/school, various University leaders, and community partners, the Community Engagement Coordinating Council (CECC) strives to deepen the culture of engagement with the City of South Bend, the Michiana region, and beyond.
The CECC 2017 Strategic Plan describes “academic community engagement, also referred to as engaged scholarship,” as a means to connect “the intellectual assets of the institution (e.g., faculty expertise) to a host of public issues such as advancing human and environmental health, enhancing educational opportunities, and promoting social, cultural, and economic development.”
EngageND Database
EngageND is an internal database that allows Notre Dame faculty and staff to share community engagement projects with each other while encouraging new partnerships. This portal is a primary means through which Notre Dame tells its engagement story, identifies trends, and enhances impact. Please enter your engagement related story/data at any time.
Faculty Support, Training, and Grants
A variety of resources are available to faculty and graduate students to enhance academic community engagement and public scholarship, including: