WORCESTER—For decades, Holy Cross students have headed off campus to tutor in Worcester classrooms, partner with local nonprofits and work alongside community organizations. That long-standing presence beyond the gates has earned national recognition.
The College of the Holy Cross has been awarded the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a selective national designation recognizing colleges and universities for sustained, institution-wide commitments to community engagement.
The elective classification is administered by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Holy Cross retains the designation through 2032, according to a campus announcement.
It is the second time the Worcester-based Jesuit college has received the classification, first earning it in 2008. The designation highlights institutions that demonstrate long-term partnerships with community organizations, integrate civic engagement into teaching and research, and apply institutional resources to address public challenges.
“This recognition affirms what has long been central to our Jesuit, Catholic mission, that education is most powerful when it is rooted in relationship, solidarity, and service to the common good,” Holy Cross President Vincent D. Rougeau said in a statement released by the college. He added that the work aligns with the school’s ASPIRE strategic plan and its commitment to being “In and of Worcester.”
Community engagement at Holy Cross spans academic coursework, faculty research, and co-curricular programs, with partnerships that include Worcester Public Schools, the Worcester Art Museum, El Buen Samaritano, St. Mary Health Care Center, and the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, among others, according to the announcement.
The college said the work is supported through multiple campus offices, including the Donelan Office for Community-Based Learning, Teaching, and Engaged Scholarship; Student Programs for Urban Development; and the Office of Government and Community Relations. Those offices coordinate community-based learning opportunities, civic engagement initiatives, and long-term collaborations with nonprofit, educational, health, and cultural organizations.
The Carnegie Foundation described higher education institutions as key drivers of civic and economic life. “Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all,” Timothy F. C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation, said in a statement included in the announcement, citing the role colleges play in innovation, workforce development, and community partnerships.
The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification was first introduced in 2006 and is considered a leading national framework for assessing institutional commitment to community-engaged teaching, research and service. The review process includes a detailed self-assessment and evaluation of infrastructure, practices and outcomes. Holy Cross said representatives from community partner organizations participated in its application process.
“The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education’s commitment to the greater good,” Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said in a statement.
