Carnegie Foundation Selects Boston’s Bunker Hill Community College for 2008 Community Engagement Classification
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Bunker Hill Community College was selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its 2008 Community Engagement Classification. The College was specifically recognized for its community engagement achievements in the category of “Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships.”
“We are very honored to have been chosen by the Carnegie Foundation for the community engagement classification,” said BHCC President Mary L. Fifield. “Recognizing the vital role that our Colleges play in the community is especially important, given the fiscal challenges being faced by higher education institutions in 2009.”
In the letter from the Carnegie Foundation announcing this award, Bunker Hill Community College was praised for documenting “excellent alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement…”
In its application, Bunker Hill Community College noted that “promoting civic engagement and leadership is one of six active college-wide goals.” Objectives under the goal include: supporting Service Learning courses, participating in community initiatives, partnering with neighbor organizations, and providing venues for involving the college community in current events and issues.
The College has also created a number of scholarships which stress community engagement. For example, one of the criteria for the BHCC President’s High School Scholarship is demonstrating active involvement in the community. Another scholarship, The BHCC Trustee Service Award, is traditionally received by a student who demonstrates outstanding community service and civic engagement, while maintaining high academic achievement.
BHCC was one of 110 U.S. colleges and universities selected for the 2008 Community Engagement Classification. BHCC was one of only nine community colleges to have been chosen for this honor.
Institutions of higher education with an institutional focus on community engagement were invited to apply for the classification, previously developed and offered in 2006 as part of an extensive restructuring of The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
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About Bunker Hill Community College
Celebrating 50 years of excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).