Knox College has formulated a plan to effect lasting change for the College and community by establishing the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement as a guide and a goal for its four-year engagement plan — our lodestar.

The plan seeks to address three strategic areas of focus that will lead to achieving Carnegie Classification in 2020:

• Establishing a true partnership with the Galesburg community;
• Recognizing and honoring faculty, staff, and student engagement; and
• Developing policies and processes to strengthen College-community collaboration.

This framework articulates the strategic relationship between Knox College and the local community we call home and serves as a nexus of collaborative effort between the campus and community.

Within the partnership, community members and the College can identify needs, explore ideas, establish community goals, and strengthen both civic learning and engagement among students, faculty, and staff. While student engagement is already strong, it can be stronger still with a clearer path for recognition and reward within the College structures. Developing College policies that recognize and reward community engagement also reinforces the College’s commitment to higher education as a public good.