APU Nationally Recognized for Community Engagement

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected Azusa Pacific as 1 of 240 U.S. colleges and universities to receive its 2015 Community Engagement Classification, placing APU alongside renowned institutions such as Cornell University, Rutgers University, Duke University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Now, 361 institutions nationwide bear this prestigious distinction.

Unlike the foundation’s other classifications that rely on national data, institutions participated voluntarily in this category by submitting required materials describing the nature and extent of their engagement with the community. This approach enabled the foundation to address elements of institutional mission and distinctiveness not typically reported.

APU stood out among its peers for its excellent alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement. “Because of our commitment to service demonstrated in myriad service-learning programs, the service credits required for graduation, as well as the university’s strong international missions programs, we attract students and faculty with a desire to serve their world to be world changers,” said Judy Hutchinson, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Academic Service-Learning and Research.

This campus-wide focus earned Azusa Pacific a place on the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service seven times—five times with distinction. And 2015 looks just as promising, as more than 3,000 students representing 20 disciplines will engage in service-learning, putting theory into practice in ways that benefit the community domestically and abroad. Reciprocally, these opportunities contribute significantly to students’ mental and spiritual development, providing real-life experiences that strongly increase their employability.

Posted: April 27, 2015