Campus Compact was founded in 1985 by the presidents of Brown, Georgetown, and Stanford Universities, along with the president of the Education Commission of the States. These higher education leaders shared a concern about the ongoing health and strength of democracy in the United States and believed that higher education could be more effective contributor to the sustainability of a democracy with more robust support structures for community engagement. Campus Compact was created to help colleges and universities create such support structures. These include offices and staff to coordinate community engagement efforts, training to help faculty members integrate community work into their teaching and research, scholarships and other student incentives, and the institutional will to make civic and community engagement a priority.
Also see our 30th Anniversary Action Statement of Presidents and Chancellors, Strategic Plan, and read the 1999 Presidents’ Declaration on the Civic Responsibility of Higher Education
