UW-Whitewater honored nationally for deep-rooted community impact
January 16, 2026
Written by Kari Borne and Chris Lindeke | Photos by Craig Schreiner
At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, community connection goes beyond the words in a mission statement. From scientific exploration and business startups to the performing arts, the university is being recognized nationally for a culture of engagement that extends beyond campus borders.
UW-Whitewater is among an elite group of 277 colleges and universities in the United States to earn the Community Engagement Classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
This prestigious designation — first awarded to the university in 2016 — honors campuses that are successfully revitalizing their civic missions by integrating student learning with regional needs.
“This classification affirms UW-Whitewater’s continued commitment to academic excellence through student success,” said Chancellor Corey A. King. “Our engagement with the greater campus community speaks directly to our approach with research and teaching to critically think and solve real-world problems. Whether it is in local schools, business offices, neighborhood parks or senior community centers, our students and faculty are actively working every day to make a difference. We are grateful for the efforts of the team that worked long and hard to ensure our Carnegie materials reflected the university’s ongoing efforts.”
The university’s application highlighted how its mission, leadership, and resources all work together to drive meaningful community engagement, especially in Walworth, Jefferson, and Rock counties.
Simone Burnett, left, an international business major from La Valle, works with resident Ginger Mayer at Fairhaven, a local retirement community, as the two make dog biscuits for local animal care facilities. Students in campus learning communities cleaned, painted, and harvested on campus as well as warmed some hearts in the community on their annual fall day of service on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
UW-Whitewater’s Community Based Learning program and Learning Communities include community service within their course requirements, positioning students off campus to conduct research and work on special projects to develop civic responsibility. Winther Counseling Services offers free, confidential mental health support to the public from counselors-in-training, who are students pursuing an M.S. in counseling at the university.
UW-Whitewater students with the Fiscal and Economic Research Center distributed a survey to audience members prior to a Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra performance on the Capitol grounds in Madison on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Survey results were used to measure the economic impact of the summer concert series for the orchestra.
The Fiscal and Economic Research Center and Cybersecurity Center for Business are housed in the university’s College of Business and Economics, Wisconsin’s largest business school. Both organizations — which are advised by faculty members and staffed by students — partner with local businesses and nonprofit organizations on impactful research, education, and outreach.
UW-Whitewater’s Department of Continuing Education oversees the Fairhaven Lecture Series and Cedar Crest Lecture Series, which are in-person presentations by university faculty and staff to community members in Whitewater and Janesville.
For the last three years, UW-Whitewater has partnered with Special Olympics Wisconsin to host the State Summer Games, welcoming hundreds of athletes and their families from around the state for fun and opportunity through sports competition.
Teams from across the state arrived at Perkins Stadium on the UW-Whitewater campus on Thursday, June 5, 2025, for the opening ceremony of Special Olympics Wisconsin and two days of athletic competitions and opportunities for friends and families to be together.
“We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with UW-Whitewater, whose campus has become a welcoming home for our athletes as the host of our largest state games over the past three years,” said Chad Hershner, president and CEO of Special Olympics Wisconsin. “Their commitment to inclusion ensures that thousands of Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes, family members and friends, are welcomed with dignity, respect, and an unforgettable championship experience.”
UW-Whitewater recognizes this distinction as both an honor and as a charge to continue to strengthen its community engagement. Additional activities for engagement are outlined in the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, including the successful implementation of Our Stories, Our Future: A Campaign for UW-Whitewater, the university’s largest single fundraising effort.
The Classification for Community Engagement is valid until 2032.
