Community Engagement

Overview

Classified as Carnegie Community Engaged University, USF defines Community Engagement as a collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.

USF’s work within the community engagement unit of the Office of University Community Partnerships is focused on cultivating, developing, and sustaining university community partnerships that are mutually beneficial and reciprocal, consistent with the Carnegie definition of community engagement. We are proud to be a campus designated by Carnegie with the Elective Classification for Community Engagement.

We work with community organizations, specifically, non-profits, non-government organizations, schools, and affinity organizations to assist them with a variety of needs. Some examples include assisting with building organizational capacity by finding interns, faculty experts, research projects, and space. General community outreach and attending events hosted by our partners and a variety of non-profits in the community is also a meaningful aspect of our work.

In our pursuit of excellence, we seek to work with the community along a continuum of engagement experiences that meet our partners where they are and allow us to collaborate on moving us further towards achieving the goals and missions of both their organizations and USF.