Northern Michigan University was recently awarded the Community Engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching.

Among 195 universities that have been given the recognition, the award that Northern was given recognizes involvement with the surrounding community.

“Community engagement is a goal central to NMU’s strategic plan, the Roadmap to 2015, and achieving the Carnegie classification reinforces our commitment to that goal,” said Susan Koch, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs.

According to Koch, the application process was lengthy because it required extensive proof of community involvement.

A team of four people, directed by Sandra Poindexter, a professor of business, spent three months working on it.

The application required a detailed explanation of 15 partnerships the university has with businesses in the community. Some of Northern’s partnerships include Public TV/Radio and Marquette General Health System.

Some aspects of involvement that Northern is most proud of include Make a Difference Day, the Superior Edge program, the Student Leader Fellowship Program and many others.

The overall result was worth the work, Koch said.

“I greatly appreciated the opportunity to work on this task. What I learned about NMU, even after 28 years, was humbling, phenomenal and highly rewarding,” Poindexter said.

The report can be seen at www.nmu.edu/communityengagement.