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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – Salem State University is proud to announce that it has been reclassified under the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, renewing an elective designation that recognizes an institution’s commitment to community and civic engagement.
The announcement comes as Salem State’s Center for Civic Engagement wraps up its 10th year of operation. It’s an acknowledgment and validation of the university’s commitment to community, from helping students become political and civic leaders to fostering a distinctive culture of civic engagement that runs throughout Salem State’s majors and programs. It also reflects the Center’s commitment to working with community partners to advance the public good.
“Salem State University has a deeply civically engaged ethos. It’s who we are as a community, as faculty, and as staff. It’s why we’re the Commonwealth’s Civic Engagement University,” said Cynthia Lynch, assistant vice provost of civic engagement and academic strategic support at Salem State. “We invest in our students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to make meaningful change in their communities on the issues that matter most to them.”
Salem State was first recognized under the Carnegie Classification in 2020. At the time, the university had just launched the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics, which has since grown to oversee a robust slate of politically focused programming, engagement with public officials, and more.
In January 2026, Salem State was reclassified, placing it alongside 278 institutions that hold the designation today, with only 14 in Massachusetts including Salem State.
“As the Commonwealth’s Civic Engagement University, we take pride in offering every student the resources and support needed to become engaged citizens—from our First Year Experience program to Student Life to the Center for Civic Engagement," said university President John Keenan. "Being recognized once again with the prestigious Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement reaffirms what has long been true about this institution: civic engagement is in our DNA. You see it woven through our academic departments, our partnerships, and the countless opportunities that shape our student experience.”
The classification is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution. The classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 19 years with classification cycles in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024, and now 2026.
“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.”