FranU Awarded 2026 Carnegie Engagement Classification

Reclassification highlights FranU’s long-standing mission of service and engagement

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University was among More than 230 U.S. colleges and universities that received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement. A listing of all the institutions that currently hold the Classification endorsement can be found here.

“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 useable knowledge, and catalyzing real world learning experiences for students.” 

The CE Classification is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution. The classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 19 years with classification cycles in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024 and now 2026.

“This recognition reflects our commitment to forming highly skilled professionals and integrated thinkers who understand that their education is meant to serve others. Through community engagement, our students are formed to lead with excellence, integrity and compassion in ways that transform both lives and communities,” stated FranU President and CEO Dr. David Bellar.

In the 2026 cycle, 237 institutions earned the CE Classification, joining the 40 institutions classified in 2024 for a total of 277 institutions that currently hold the designation. Of the institutions recognized in 2026, 48 are receiving the classification for the first time, while 189 have previously held it, which includes FranU. The 2026 cohort includes a diverse range of institutions, with 157 public institutions, 80 private colleges and universities and 81 Minority Serving Institutions represented among the recipients.

“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.”