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 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.

The 2026 renewal validates not only the College’s sustained efforts but also 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 “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.”

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.

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 them 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. “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.”

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.”

Maryville College is a nationally ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges, located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville. Maryville College offers more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”

Karen Eldridge, Executive Director of Communications: karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu.

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