CSUSM awarded prestigious classification for community engagement
Cal State San Marcos has received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification, an elective designation that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement.
The CE Classification, which is awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 19 years.
CSUSM is one of 237 institutions that earned the CE Classification in the 2026 cycle. This marks the third time that CSUSM has received the classification, with the first occurring in 2006 when the university was one of the elite institutions that received initial classification. Along with the 40 that were classified in 2024, a total of 277 schools currently hold the designation.
“I want to congratulate all CSUSM faculty, staff, students, and community partners on their contributions to this prestigious designation,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “At CSUSM, community engagement is not a single initiative or program. It is a defining characteristic of who we are, and it is essential to ensuring that opportunities, accountability, and progress are shared by all, empowering students to transform their lives and uplift their entire communities.”
CSUSM received the CE Classification for a host of programs, including:
Senior Experience, which connects undergraduate business students with local organizations to address real-world challenges.
Super STEM Saturday is a partnership with The Classical Academies that fosters early STEM engagement among K-12 students while also strengthening pathways to higher education.
Democracy in Action, which connects students and faculty with local city governments to address real-world civic challenges.
Center for Research and Engagement in STEM Education (CRESE), which fosters K-16 partnerships, advances STEM education, and promotes workforce development through research, outreach, and community collaborations.
Mobile Wellness Initiative, a partnership with TrueCare that brings essential health care services to underserved communities in North County.
Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs is an accelerated degree pathway in the behavioral and mental health field.
CSUSM’s CE Classification is valid until 2032.
“CSUSM welcomes community partners into our work, and we are invited into communities because we listen and learn from the regional communities,” Neufeldt said. “We’ve always worked hard to maintain mutual benefit and to build trust with community partners. This designation acknowledges that CSUSM creates unique opportunities for CSUSM students that advance their learning in powerful ways.”
The Carnegie Classifications are the nation’s leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities in the United States.