Texas Southern University Achieves Carnegie Community Engagement Classification

Texas Southern University Achieves Prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification

Texas Southern University (TSU) has reached a significant milestone by being awarded the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a notable recognition in the academic landscape. This classification is awarded to institutions that exemplify a deep and sustained commitment to community engagement in their research, teaching, and service initiatives.

In the United States, fewer than 10% of the nearly 4,000 degree-granting institutions have received this classification, which places TSU in an elite grouping of institutions dedicated to public service and integrating community engagement as a core function of university life. Notably, TSU is the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Texas to achieve this distinguished honor.

President J.W. Crawford III expressed pride in this achievement, highlighting TSU’s long-standing commitment to fostering education, research excellence, and societal impact through collaborative community partnerships. He credited the efforts of faculty, students, staff, and community collaborators who have worked together to shape initiatives aimed at addressing real-world challenges and improving local outcomes.

A Rigorous Process for Recognition

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is an elective distinction that necessitates a thorough application process, requiring extensive qualitative and quantitative evidence demonstrating that community engagement is a vital and sustainable part of institutional culture. This is distinct from Carnegie’s research classifications, which focus primarily on research funding and doctoral output.

According to Dr. Carl B. Goodman, the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, this classification emphasizes that community engagement at TSU is not a mere outreach effort but includes developing reciprocal partnerships that enhance teaching and research practices. He noted that such collaborations provide substantial value not only to the community but also further academic pursuits that emphasize shared purpose and societal impact.

Examples of Community Engagement at TSU

Texas Southern University's commitment to community engagement is illustrated through several key initiatives:

1. Culturally Responsive Educators: The College of Education is focused on preparing educators who are attuned to the needs of diverse communities. Through partnerships with local PreK-12 schools, students gain practical classroom experience while supporting educational efforts for families in Houston.

2. Mental Health Services Access: Working with Mental Health America of Greater Houston, TSU faculty have aided in creating a referral system that connects community residents with essential mental health services. This partnership includes hosting a biannual Internship and Practicum Fair, creating pathways for graduate counseling students to grow professionally while addressing regional mental health challenges.

3. Health Education Programs: The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences requires Doctor of Pharmacy students to complete service-learning and engagement activities that expose them to real-world healthcare needs, thereby enhancing public health initiatives in the community.

4. Public Administration Practicum: TSU’s Master of Public Administration program ensures students engage with real governmental or nonprofit agencies, assisting in the development of community programs and analysis while gaining invaluable experience.

5. Social Work Field Experience: The Social Work Department collaborates with various organizations across Greater Houston to place students in internships that serve communities across 16 ZIP codes, helping to enhance access to social services.

6. Art and Culture Initiatives: Through collaborations with organizations like Kindred Stories, the English Department curates literary events that amplify diverse community voices, thereby fostering cultural connections between students and the public.

A Distinction with Impact

This achievement, accomplished on its first attempt, further positions Texas Southern University as a research-active institution with a clear mission-driven framework. Holding both the Carnegie R2 (Doctoral University with High Research Activity) status and the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification places TSU in a unique category among its peers.

This recognition is increasingly viewed as a marker of institutional readiness by federal agencies and philanthropic organizations focused on social impact, bolstering TSU's capacity to secure funding for community-focused and translational research. In its quest to provide higher education access to underserved communities, Texas Southern University continues to prepare its diverse student body to become agents of positive change within society.

Established in 1927, TSU has become one of Texas’s most diverse and respected institutions, committed to delivering academic programs that tackle pressing urban challenges while supporting a broad spectrum of community needs.