JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced today that Saint Peter’s University has met the criteria for the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. Saint Peter’s is one of only 277 institutions nationwide with this designation.
The Elective Classification for Community Engagement recognizes campuses that are deepening partnerships, leveraging community assets and addressing urgent societal challenges through a strong and growing commitment to community engagement. The efforts put forth by the team at Saint Peter’s also fall under the goals of Pillar V: Elevating Community Engagement of Igniting the Mission Strategic Plan. Over the next three years, Saint Peter’s will focus on building a more integrated model for community engagement, strengthening our anchor position in the Jersey City community and enhancing partnerships for experiential learning opportunities.
As noted by the Carnegie Foundation, community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity.
Please join the Saint Peter’s University community in celebrating this distinguished recognition.