El Sistema and MSU Denver’s Partnership
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.
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.”
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.
In 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.
Task Force Members
Vincent Piturro Ph.D.
Professor, English Department
Cecily Cullen
Director and Curator, Center for Visual Arts
Jason Eric Miller Ph.D.
Professor, English Department
Toni Aho
Assistant director of equity and student-leadership programs, Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion
Tracy Sagalow
2D and Foundations Studio Manager, Art Department
Administrative Support
Elizabeth Parmelee Ph.D.
Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies
Shayla Bischoff
Assistant to the Associate Vice President 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]
Featured Work Towards the Application
Mira Jacob speaks about her book "Good Talk" at the 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform event held my MSU Denver at the Auraria Campus on Nov. 2, 2022. Photo by Travis Brooks.