This past month, the Center for Service Learning and Social Action (CSSA) received the national Carnegie Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation. John Carroll University is now one of 277 institutions in the country to earn this distinction.
The prestigious classification reflects CSSA’s role as a mission-driven part of John Carroll’s academic and community culture, as CSSA addresses the university’s commitment to its Jesuit identity and mission. When the foundation awarded CSSA the classification, it recognized that the center’s work extends beyond extracurricular activities to influence courses, majors and electives. The honor focuses on programs with a commitment to service that is deep, pervasive and integrated across the campus, which requires detailed and reflective documentation from CSSA’s board.
As she reviewed the application process, Director of CSSA Sister Katherine Feely said she was most influenced by how John Carroll’s mission centers on engaging with the world around it and using knowledge for the greater good. She explained that in the application, “We highlighted those academic course-based experiences that not only enrich the student experience,” she said, “but also matter to our partners and add value to the work they are doing in the community.” The application process required evidence of how the program had evolved since the previous cycle—specifically focusing on how CSSA was improving its outreach, deepening its impact, and further integrating its work across the institution.
Olivia Buckel ’27, who works with CSSA, shared a message for students considering getting involved with the program. “I think CSSA specifically is a really good opportunity to step out of your comfort zone.” Last summer, Buckel completed an internship at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, one of the many “Summer in the City” internships offered by CSSA. The experience aligned closely with her major in English with a concentration in Professional Writing.
“My whole opportunity over the summer was with a cohort, so you’re not alone,” Buckel said. “You’re not getting put into a room and expected to understand everything all at once… You know that’s going to happen, and they expect you to do that, and that’s why they put more students than just one person in a certain assignment. That’s why they train you and put you in the scenarios before you actually go into any spot, so that you can know what’s coming.”
Through programs that combine service and academics, CSSA aims to engage students with the Cleveland community and connect classroom learning to real-world experiences. Its offerings include cohort-based internships like “Summer in the City” and citywide initiatives such as “JCU in the City.” Receiving the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification may help CSSA strengthen community partnerships, increase national visibility of John Carroll’s commitment to community engagement and reinforce the role of service learning and experiential opportunities in the university’s academic programs.
When asked about how this achievement will affect CSSA’s work and priorities, Associate Director Heather Craigie, Ed.D, said “We hope that… [students] really see that alignment between the mission of the university and experiences they’re able to have that push them to grow and develop as a person, for and with others.”
The designation remains valid through 2032, after which CSSA must seek renewal to maintain it.