Gettysburg College has been selected for the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a national designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Gettysburg is one of 237 institutions recognized with the honor, demonstrating strong town-gown alignment and community partnership.
“This Carnegie designation affirms what has long defined Gettysburg College: a deep belief that education is most powerful when it is meaningfully connected to community,” said President Bob Iuliano. “We are pleased to be honored with this distinction and will use it as further inspiration to redouble our efforts in support of the public good in Gettysburg, throughout Adams County, and across our broader community.”
The Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement celebrates colleges and universities across the nation whose community engagement is embedded in mission and culture and sustained through leadership, resources, and best practices.
“This recognition underscores Gettysburg College’s enduring commitment to being an engaged partner—with students, faculty, and staff learning with and alongside our great community,” said Provost Jamila Bookwala. “Especially in this moment of significant change across higher education, we are proud that our College’s work has been recognized for its quality and impact.”
Jeff Rioux, director of the Center for Public Service, and Public Policy Prof. Christopher Rick co-led the self-study to analyze the College’s campus-wide efforts in community engagement. As a residential, undergraduate college of the liberal arts and sciences, Gettysburg College promises students A Consequential Education—one that prepares them to pursue lives of leadership and service in their communities and careers upon graduation.
The Carnegie classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement throughout U.S. higher education for the past 19 years.
“Earning this designation reflects years of thoughtful work by faculty, staff, and students who understand that community engagement isn't just about service—it's about building reciprocal partnerships where learning flows in all directions,” said Rioux. “The self-study process allowed us to see how deeply the commitment runs across campus and to our community partnerships throughout Adams County.”
"As a teacher and scholar, I've witnessed how community-engaged learning transforms students’ understanding of public policy from abstract concepts into lived realities. When students work alongside community partners on real challenges—whether that's food insecurity, environmental justice, or local governance—they develop the critical thinking and empathy that define A Consequential Education. This Carnegie classification recognizes that Gettysburg has made this kind of transformative learning central to who we are,” Rick reflected.
Gettysburg College’s 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement was preceded by a recognition for Leadership for Public Purpose in 2024.
“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.”
Visit Gettysburg College and learn how you can engage with our vibrant community.
Photos by Abbey Frisco, Corey Jewart, Matthew Musser, and courtesy of Prof. Chris Rick.
Posted: 01/12/26