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Two TTU System Institutions Recognized by Carnegie Foundation

Carnegie Foundation

2015 Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation 

Texas Tech and Angelo State receive honor from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Jan. 7, 2015 | Contact Doug Hensley

Two universities in the Texas Tech University System – Texas Tech University and Angelo State University – have been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for their commitment to community outreach and service.

Texas Tech University and Angelo State University are among the 240 U.S. colleges and universities selected by the foundation for its 2015 Community Engagement Classification.

“Being recognized by the Carnegie Foundation is a tremendous achievement for Texas Tech University and Angelo State University, and reflects our long-standing commitment to the many communities we serve throughout Texas,” said Chancellor Robert Duncan. “There are only 12 universities and colleges in Texas to receive this honor, and two of them are in the Texas Tech University System. We are very proud of the outstanding faculty, staff, students and partners who are working together to improve the lives of others around us.”

Texas Tech University was one of the original 76 colleges and universities to receive the classification in 2006, the year Carnegie launched the designation. Angelo State University is one of 83 institutions out of the first-time applicants to receive the classification in 2015 and one of three in Texas.

Since the program’s launch in 2006, only 361 of the nation’s more than 4,700 institutions of higher education have received the classification. This year, 241 first-time applicants registered to receive the application, 133 institutions submitted applications and 83 were successfully classified as community engaged institutions. Similarly, 188 campuses were eligible for reclassification, 162 submitted an application and 157 were successfully reclassified. The classification lasts until 2025.


There are only 12 universities and colleges in Texas to receive this honor, and two of them are in the Texas Tech University System.

Chancellor Robert Duncan, Texas Tech University System


Unlike the foundation’s other classifications that rely on national data, this is an “elective” classification – institutions elected to participate by submitting required documentation describing the nature and extent of their engagement with the community, be it local or beyond. This approach has enabled the foundation to recognize elements of institutional mission and distinctiveness not represented in the national data on colleges and universities.

In order to be selected for the Carnegie Community Engagement designation, institutions must provide descriptions and examples of institutionalized practices of community engagement that show alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices.

Community engagement is defined by the Carnegie Foundation as partnerships between institutions of higher learning and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. Examples of community engagement include students volunteering in the community or serving as interns and researchers, and also incorporate all the ways faculty and staff serve their communities.

The Carnegie Foundation is an independent policy and research center focusing on tighter connections between teaching practice, evidence of student learning, the communication and use of this evidence, and structured opportunities to build knowledge.

The New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) manages the Community Engagement Classification process for the Carnegie Foundation. More information on the classification can be found at the NERCHE website at http://nerche.org.

About the Texas Tech University System 
The Texas Tech University System is one of the top public university systems in the nation, consisting of four component institutions —Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University Health Sciences CenterAngelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso—and operating at 12 academic sites and centers.  Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the TTU System has an annual operating budget of $1.7 billion and approximately 17,000 employees focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach.

In 2014, the TTU System’s endowment exceeded $1 billion, total research expenditures were approximately $200 million and total enrollment approached 47,000 students. Whether it’s contributing billions of dollars annually in economic impact or being the only system in Texas to house an academic institution, law school, and medical school at the same location, the TTU System continues to prove that anything is possible.