Florida International University (FIU) has been selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as one of 119 U.S. colleges and universities to classify as a community engaged university in 2020.
The classification recognizes institutions that demonstrate a distinctive institutional focus on engagement in local, regional, national and global communities. To be selected, institutions provide descriptions and examples of institutionalized practices of community engagement that demonstrate alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership and resources. FIU was first designated as an engaged university in 2010.
“Today, FIU is a significant force for good in our community,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. “We are a cluster of talent and a solutions center that creates impact through student success and groundbreaking research.”
In its application, FIU highlighted some of the ways its commitment to the community has progressed and deepened in recent years, including an investment of more than $99 million in community engagement related activities in the 2017-18 fiscal year. These funds fueled programs like NeighborhoodHELP, a service-learning program at FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine that places multi-disciplinary teams of students and faculty in underserved households. In 2018, more than 2,000 students conducted more than 11,000 household visits throughout the local community. Internship-focused initiatives, like the Talent Development Network (TDN) that operates out of FIU’s Office of Engagement, aid in FIU’s effort to secure nearly 7,000 student internships.
FIU sustains a large number of community partnerships locally and globally. As of 2019, the university held 211 international agreements, across 51 countries. These linkages foster study abroad and faculty exchange programs, dual degrees, articulation agreements, scholarships, and online education opportunities.
All FIU students are required to complete two Global Learning designated courses, focused on the outcomes of increasing global awareness, perspective, and engagement. Annually more 38,000 students participate in nearly 300 community engaged courses, allowing students to strengthen their sense of civic responsibility, address societal issues, and contribute to the public good.
The application process was spearheaded by the university-wide #FutureIsUs Committee, co-chaired by Elizabeth Bejar, senior vice president for Academic & Student Affairs and Saif Y. Ishoof, vice president for Engagement, and facilitated by FIU’s Office of Engagement. Founded by President Mark B. Rosenberg in 2010, the office fosters collaborative, triple-win interactions between the university, the community, and related scholarships for the mutually beneficial exchange, exploration, and application of knowledge, information, and resources to create solutions to the pressing challenges of the global community.
“The Carnegie Community Engagement designation is a testament to our students, faculty, staff and partners and their shared commitment to building and sustaining high impact partnerships in our community,” Ishoof said.
