Plaza Building, Health Center closed due to a water main break.

El Sistema and MSU Denver’s Partnership

Photo with various colors with the words "Community Engagement at Metropolitan State University of Denver"

Community Engagement at MSU Denver is

  • Collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global), in accordance with the Carnegie Institution guidelines for community engagement.
  • A mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.
  • Designed so that students learn beyond the classroom and/or see classroom learning and activities in theory and practice in the context of community and service.
  • Volunteering, voting, fostering internships, organizing community events, as well as faculty working in partnership with community organizations and campus offices to develop mutually beneficial projects such as pursuing quantitative and qualitative research, the development of resource guides and best practices, along with many other endeavors.
  • Centering the university as a resource for the community and our partners in it.
  • Working with diverse community partners to further the mission of the University through collaborative work that benefits all partners.

About the Classification

The Carnegie Classification is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education. There are basic classifications along with different elective classifications. MSU Denver will be applying for the elective classification for community engagement.

Students and high schoolers help make 3D printed violins at MSU Denver.This classification describes a collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The community engagement classification shows exceptional strides towards this purpose.

Community being one of MSU Denver’s core set of values in the acronym CADRE, shows the commitment MSU has towards community engagement. Community is a part of MSU Denver’s mission, vision, and strategic plan as an urban university. Ensuring mutually beneficial relationships with the community and MSU Denver is a continued aspiration and day-to-day engagement process.

Vision

Our goal is to represent MSU Denver in our application for the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. We extend the overall mission statement of the University: “to provide a high-quality, accessible, enriching education that prepares students for successful careers, post-graduate education, and lifelong learning in a multicultural, global, and technological society.”

Vincent Piturro, Ph.D., speaks at a special screening event.The mission of the task force is to illuminate how this University Mission manifests itself in community engagement, including faculty, staff, administration, and most importantly, our students working with and interacting with diverse community partners. Along the journey, we intend to learn and grow with those community partners, while continuing to forge new relationships with other potential community partners.

-“The Process is the Prize.”

2026 Cycle Timeline

The elective community engagement classification’s cycle is every two years. The classification is retained for a six year period.

Carnegie Classification Application Task Force

In September 2023 MSU Denver celebrated our civic and community engagement with the 2023 Faculty Senate Civic and Community Engagement Excellence Awards. During this celebration the Civic and Community Engagement Task Force and its members were announced. The task force will be working towards gathering all of the information needed to submit the application.

MSU Denver students Ashley Morton and Aaliyah Molina help bag food items for children in need of food assistance at the weekly Food for Thought event on Auraria Campus Friday morning, Oct. 1, 2021. Photo by Sara HertwigIn addition to the task force, MSU Denver is using the platform, Collaboratory, to help facilitate the collection of community and civic engagement projects faculty and staff have been working on. MSU Denver Roadrunners are always working on mutually beneficial activities with the community, and Collaboratory is the tool used to collect all of those happenings to compile data.

Follow along with mutually beneficial collaborations with MSU Denver and community organizations through the platform Collaboratory.

Do you have a Community and Civic Engagement activity you’d like to have featured? We have a Qualtrics to help with data collection. Enter your activity in Collaboratory, in the Qualtrics and/or contact us!

Task Force Members

Vincent Piturro, Ph.D., Professor of English at MSU Denver

Vincent Piturro Ph.D.

Professor, English Department

Carnegie Application

Cecily Cullen

Director and Curator, Center for Visual Arts

Jason Eric Miller, Ph.D., Professor of English at MSU Denver

Jason Eric Miller Ph.D.

Professor, English Department

Photo of Toni Aho Assistant director of equity and student-leadership programs, Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion

Toni Aho

Assistant director of equity and student-leadership programs, Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion

Photo of Tracy Sagalow - 2D and Foundations Studio Manager, Art Department

Tracy Sagalow

2D and Foundations Studio Manager, Art Department

Photo of Nora Bashir Community Engaged Learning Program Manager, C2 Hub

Nora Bashir

Community Engaged Learning Program Manager, C2 Hub

Photo of Cassie Mullen Experiential Learning Program Manager, C2 Hub

Cassie Mullen

Experiential Learning Program Manager, C2 Hub

Administrative Support

photo of Elizabeth Parmelee - Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies

Elizabeth Parmelee Ph.D.

Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies

Photo of Shayla Bischoff - Assistant to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies

Shayla Bischoff

Assistant to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies

Photo of Cheyenne Calderon - Graduate Assistant for Undergraduate Studies

Cheyenne Calderon

Graduate Assistant for Undergraduate Studies

Contact us

For any additional information or help needed regarding Collaboratory, please contact:

Cheyenne Calderon – [email protected]