EL PASO, Texas (March 17, 2026) – The University of Texas at El Paso has once again earned the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.
UTEP has once again earned the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification for its continued and measurable impact across the Paso del Norte region. Pictured: UTEP students help hand out food to community members at the Kelly Center for Hunger Relief.
The designation, awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, affirms UTEP’s sustained commitment to meaningful, reciprocal partnerships that advance community-engaged teaching, research and service.
“This Carnegie classification celebrates the intentional and deeply meaningful community work that is central to UTEP’s mission. Engaged institutions demonstrate every day the multifaceted value of public higher education,” said Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs John Wiebe Ph.D.
UTEP has held the Community Engagement Classification since 2010. The 2026 reclassification reflects the University’s continued and measurable impact across the Paso del Norte region. This includes the expansion of community-engaged courses, the documentation of over 700,000 student engagement or volunteer hours and nearly 200 active partnerships with local schools, health providers, nonprofits, businesses and civic organizations.
“UTEP’s 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Reclassification reflects years of intentional work to strengthen reciprocal partnerships that enrich teaching, research, and student learning,” said Jennifer Lujan, director of The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at UTEP.
Community engagement at UTEP spans a variety of disciplines and initiatives, from courses that connect students to real-world challenges and research partnerships focused on health and well-being to economic development and educational equity. These collaborations ensure that academic knowledge and community expertise inform one another in ways that produce lasting impact.
The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is evidence-based, requiring institutions to demonstrate sustained infrastructure, assessment practices and reciprocal partnerships within the region. UTEP’s continued recognition underscores its long-standing dedication to advancing opportunity and strengthening relationships with the borderland community.
Last Updated on March 17, 2026 at 12:00 AM | Originally published March 17, 2026
By MC Staff
UTEP Marketing and Communications