Auburn University at Montgomery earns 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification

Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) has been recognized with the prestigious 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (CE), awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. AUM is one of only five universities in Alabama to earn the 2026 designation, which recognizes an institution’s demonstrated commitment to community engagement.

“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.”

AUM defines community engagement as “collaboration with our larger communities — local, regional/state, national, global — for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.”

“Our vision includes our aspiration for AUM to be recognized as an integral community partner and a resource for the enrichment and economic development of the Southeast region and beyond,” said AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton. “Now more than ever, institutions of higher education have a profound responsibility to connect with and serve our local, national and global communities in meaningful ways.”

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification marks AUM’s first formal recognition of community engagement as a core part of the university’s mission and values, said Lynn Stallings, interim dean of AUM’s University College and director of the Honors Program. Stallings oversaw the application process along with Amy Ingram, director of AUM’s Experiential Education and Engagement Center.

“This well-respected Carnegie designation provides objective, external validation of AUM’s longstanding commitment to community engagement,” Stallings said.

Over recent years, that commitment has been reinforced through sustained institutional investment. In 2019, AUM strengthened its high-impact community engagement practices by establishing the Experiential Education and Engagement Center with support from a $2.16 million Title III “Strengthening Institutions” grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The EEEC has since served as a hub for community-based partnerships. One of the five signature projects highlighted in AUM’s CE application is the Shady Street Trailhead and Park, a City of Montgomery revitalization effort carried out in partnership with the EEEC. Since 2020, the partnership has brought together community members and university volunteers to help revitalize the park for public use.

The grant has also served as a catalyst for expanded community engagement across campus, supporting initiatives such as Healthy Kids, the Rural History and Ecology Research Institute, the AUM Speech and Hearing Clinic, and the Greater East Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair, which is hosted annually at AUM.

AUM’s Carnegie application demonstrates how the university continues to strengthen community partnerships, leverage shared assets, and respond to pressing societal challenges through purposeful, institution-wide engagement efforts.

“AUM experiential learning and community engagement initiatives provide meaningful opportunities for our students, faculty and staff to make a real impact,” Stallings said. “They allow students to put classroom learning into practice while strengthening our communities and preparing graduates for success as citizens and professionals.”

Since the 2023–24 academic year, AUM has formally recognized community-engaged students, faculty and staff for their volunteer work and participation in civic service and engagement. Participating students receive transcript recognition and an honors cord at graduation.

The 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification cohort includes 277 institutions nationwide, with 48 institutions receiving the designation for the first time. The group represents a broad cross-section of higher education, including 157 public institutions, 80 private colleges and universities, and 81 Minority Serving Institutions.

AUM’s classification is valid through 2032, at which time the university will be eligible to seek reclassification.