Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement

January 12, 2026

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

We hope you all had a restful holiday season and we are excited to welcome everyone back for the spring semester.

Community and civic engagement is a deeply held core value of our institution, one that has marked our institution’s progress in serving the needs of our communities and our state for more than 150 years. 

Over a year ago, we embarked on a reclassification submission process to the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. This effort included our entire campus. It focused on the numerous significant achievements we have made in public engagement, community partnerships and the transformational impact our teaching, research and service has had for the people of Nevada.

We are pleased to inform you that today, Jan. 12, 2026, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has announced that the University of Nevada is among only 277 institutions recognized as belonging to the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. 

Thank you to the incredible Government and Community Relations team for leading the efforts to complete the application.  

This is a prestigious and significant milestone achievement for our University. The selection reflects the University’s sustained commitment to community-engaged scholarship, partnerships, service, and civic learning as integral dimensions of our mission as a public, land-grant, R1 institution. 

Since our initial Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement designation in 2020, the University has made considerable strides in embedding community engagement into our academic identity, strategic goals, assessment systems, infrastructure, and funding allocations. 

Our reapplication, which was comprehensive and reflective of the accomplishments we have seen across campus, demonstrated particular emphasis in several key institutional areas. This included Infrastructure and Leadership; Partnerships and Community-Centered Initiatives; Equity, Access and Inclusive Engagement; Assessment, Accountability and Data Systems; Resource Commitment and External Support; Response to Contemporary Challenges. 

This honor, paired with our classification as a Carnegie R1 “Very High” Research institution, speaks to an ongoing effort by our University to make a lasting impact on our state through all aspects of our institutional mission – teaching, research and service. 

Our faculty, students and staff, as well as our numerous community partners and supporters, have all made today’s achievement possible. This latest milestone is a testament to the excellence of our University, and the people who make our mission come alive every day. 

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval
President

Michael Flores
Vice President of Government and Community Relations