The University of Texas at El Paso has earned the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, according to a March 17 announcement. The designation is awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
The recognition highlights UTEP’s ongoing commitment to building partnerships that support community-engaged teaching, research, and service in the Paso del Norte region. The classification is evidence-based and requires institutions to show sustained infrastructure, assessment practices, and reciprocal partnerships within their communities.
John Wiebe, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at UTEP, said, “This Carnegie classification celebrates the intentional and deeply meaningful community work that is central to UTEP’s mission. Engaged institutions demonstrate every day the multifaceted value of public higher education.”
UTEP has held this classification since 2010. The university’s reclassification in 2026 reflects its continued impact through expanded community-engaged courses, over 700,000 documented student engagement or volunteer hours, and nearly 200 active partnerships with local schools, health providers, nonprofits, businesses, and civic organizations.
Jennifer Lujan, director of The Center for Community Engagement at UTEP, said, “UTEP’s 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Reclassification reflects years of intentional work to strengthen reciprocal partnerships that enrich teaching, research, and student learning.”
Community engagement efforts at UTEP include academic courses addressing real-world challenges as well as research collaborations focused on health outcomes and economic development. These initiatives aim to ensure that both academic knowledge and community expertise contribute to lasting positive change.
