Carnegie Foundation reaffirms Maryville College’s longstanding commitment to community engagement
Jan. 14, 2026
Maryville College’s long-standing commitment to serving East Tennessee and the broader public good has once again earned national recognition, as the College has been reaffirmed with the Carnegie Foundation’s Elective Community Engagement Classification.
First awarded the classification in 2020, Maryville College is among a select group of institutions nationwide recognized for embedding community engagement deeply and intentionally across curriculum, scholarship and campus life. The 2026 renewal validates not only the College’s sustained efforts, but its identity as an institution rooted in reciprocal partnerships with the region it serves.
“For more than two centuries, Maryville College has understood education as a public good,” said MC President Dr. Bryan Coker. “Our institutional motto, ‘Do good on the largest possible scale,’ is not only a guiding principle but also a lived practice, one that has shaped our mission, informed our academic and co-curricular programs, and inspired generations of students to become agents of positive change in their communities.”
Maryville College is one of more than 230 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement.
“Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only fuel science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. “We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors — fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge, and catalyzing real-world learning experiences for students.”
The Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement recognizes institutions that demonstrate meaningful collaboration between higher education and community partners, grounded in reciprocity, mutual benefit, and shared purpose. At Maryville College, that understanding is foundational.
“Community engagement is not viewed as just an ‘add-on’ to the student experience — it is foundational to a liberal arts education that fosters ethical citizenship, intellectual curiosity, and servant leadership,” Coker wrote in the College’s application. “Founded with a vision to serve the people of East Tennessee and beyond, Maryville College remains steadfast in our mission to prepare students for lives of citizenship and leadership.”
That mission is reflected throughout the curriculum, where designated Community Engagement (CE) and Global Plus (GL+) courses challenge students to apply academic learning in real-world contexts. Faculty commitment to this work is formalized as well; Maryville College includes community engagement as a criterion for tenure and promotion, underscoring the value placed on public scholarship.
“Over the years, I have seen community-engaged learning transform the college classroom,” said Dr. Ariane Schratter, professor of psychology, Faculty Fellow within the Bonner Foundation’s Community Engaged Learning Initiative, and liaison for community-engaged learning at the College. “More than ever, students seek more than traditional lectures at a podium. They want meaningful experiences that allow them to apply their academic interests to real-world community and global needs.”
Schratter added that earning the classification again reinforces the College’s direction and responsibility. Across disciplines, faculty-led initiatives connect academic inquiry to regional needs. Current and ongoing projects include environmental monitoring partnerships in the Little River watershed, community-based data work integrated into statistics courses, supervised visitation internships developed with Blount County Juvenile Court, and the College’s co-hosting of the annual “Hijacked” conference addressing addiction and recovery efforts in Southern Appalachia.
Community engagement also extends well beyond the classroom. Maryville College is one of just 22 institutions nationwide with a Bonner Endowment, supporting a campus-wide culture of service and community-engaged scholarship. Each week, students collectively contribute more than 650 hours of service to local organizations, while partnerships such as the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance allow students to earn the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential.
“Community engagement has been a hallmark of the student experience at Maryville College for a long time; this classification tells us, and the world, that we’re doing it to a high standard,” said Chris Freeman, coordinator of the Community Engaged Scholars program. “From the Significant Practical Experience requirement to programs like the Bonner Scholars program, to experiences like volunteering with Second Harvest or Habitat for Humanity, students have always been called to ‘do good on the largest possible scale.’ How could we do that without our community?”
Looking ahead, Maryville College is continuing to invest in engagement as a shared future. Initiatives such as the Maryville College Downtown Center, which serves as a hub for workforce development and lifelong learning, and the forthcoming Alexander Institute for Conservation Leadership and the Sciences, are designed to deepen sustainable partnerships across the region.
“As President, I am deeply committed to fostering and expanding the College’s culture of community engagement,” Coker wrote. “Our strategic plan recognizes the connection between a college’s vitality and the health of its surrounding communities, affirming that reciprocal, sustainable partnerships are essential to our future.”
With the renewed Carnegie Classification, Maryville College joins institutions nationwide recognized in the 2026 cohort for their commitment to community engagement as an essential expression of institutional mission. Dr. Liz Perry-Sizemore, vice president and dean of the College, pointed out that the recognition “speaks to one of the many ways we are ‘of and for the region.’”
“It speaks to our commitment to identifying and pursuing mutually beneficial relationships in the region — those that honor our mission and support the needs of the community,” she explained. “This Carnegie classification also provides third-party verification that Maryville College truly lives its spoken commitment to community engagement, and we are excited to continue to grow and strengthen in these areas.”
The application process was a six-month commitment of more than 20 faculty, staff and students, with the six-member Carnegie Reclassification Taskforce meeting weekly.
“I am very grateful to the individuals who put many hours into preparing our application,” the dean said. “I especially thank Dr. Ariane Schratter. She gathered, studied, and organized a tremendous amount of information about the breadth, depth, and impact of our community engagement initiatives.”