University of the Pacific today received national recognition from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for exceptional engagement with communities across Northern California through public service, community partnerships and knowledge sharing.

Pacific is one of 48 colleges and universities to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification today. The Carnegie Classifications are the nation’s leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities in the United States.

“Serving our communities is a core tenet of who we are as Pacificans and a foundational principle of a Pacific education,” said President Christopher Callahan. “With programs as diverse as diabetes screenings, dental clinics and vaccination centers to legal clinics, small business consulting and volunteer work at dozens of nonprofits, Pacific is committed to impactful, hands-on learning opportunities for our students that provides immense value to our neighbors across Northern California.”

The designation from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation underscores Pacific’s 175-year commitment to community engagement since its founding as California’s first university in 1851. Pacific is now among the 277 U.S. institutions to carry the designation.

“This classification affirms what Pacific has long been doing—creating impactful learning opportunities for our students while strengthening and uplifting our communities,” Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert said. “We remain committed to fostering opportunities for teaching, research and outreach that address real-world challenges and preparing students to be engaged citizens.”

Community impact through service

Pacific integrates community engagement initiatives into academic programs across its three campuses in Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco, including dental and hearing clinics, health screenings, business centers, speaker series, cultural events and more.

Students contribute more than 300,000 hours of community service each year with support from faculty and staff through campus clinics, an annual Day of Service and other initiatives to address pressing needs.

Pacific launched Diabetes Care Clinics five years ago in partnership with the Abbott Foundation to combat the high rate of diabetes in Stockton. The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy is the only provider of a free, in-person Diabetes Prevention Program in the country, which students facilitate as part of an elective course.

Students in Pacific’s Community Involvement Program, a scholarship program for first-generation college students from the Stockton community, provide mentoring to local middle and high school students focusing on academic and personal excellence.

The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry provides free dental screenings for children, veterans and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in San Francisco and recently expanded its services to the Sacramento Campus.

Since 1964, the McGeorge School of Law has provided pro bono legal services through its seven clinics, including bankruptcy, elder and health law, homeless advocacy, and immigration law. McGeorge is one of only six law schools in the country requiring students to complete two authentic law practice experiences.

Community partnerships

Longstanding partnerships also provide opportunities for students, faculty and staff to collaborate with community agencies and nonprofits.

Students in College Corps, a service learning program, provide support to high-need focus areas throughout the year: K-12 education, climate action and food insecurity. A partnership with Progressive Community Church provides health screenings for hundreds as part of Pacific’s annual Black History Month celebration. The Math Steeplechase has brought thousands of fifth graders to campus for a day of science experiments, math competition and athletic challenges.

Students also serve the community through capstone projects, in which they apply their area of study to create solutions to fit the specific needs of organizations and nonprofits, such as Shriners Children’s Hospital.

Arts and cultural opportunities

For decades, Pacific has brought influential voices to campus to share insights and differing perspectives with the campus and surrounding community. Most recently, the university launched the Pacific Presidential Speaker Series to continue that tradition. Last year’s guest speakers included legendary PBS journalist Judy Woodruff, acclaimed author Monica Guzman and renowned higher education leader Cathy Davidson. Latin Grammy award winning composer Gabriela Lena Frank joins Pacific Feb. 5 to speak on breaking through cultural barriers.

Students in the Jazz Ambassadors perform regularly at the Take 5 Jazz Club on the Miracle Mile, one of the many ensembles that perform for the public through the Conservatory of Music. In 2019, Pacific also launched a community music school to provide on-campus music education in collaboration with regional K-12 music educators. 

Sharing knowledge and resources

Pacific has continuously opened its doors to the community to share resources and knowledge. The Eberhardt School of Business’s new San Joaquin County Business Center helps students gain skills while supporting area businesses with market research, business plans and other needs.

The Fletcher Jones Foundation Makerspace, a technology and innovation hub, hosts camps and other programs for local students and community members. And a project through The Center for Business and Policy Research brought together computer science and business analytics students to design a website for the San Joaquin County Council of Governments where the community could obtain census data.

“Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only fuel science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. “We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors—fostering civic engagement, building useable knowledge, and catalyzing real world learning experiences for students.”

The new designation is Pacific’s second from the Carnegie Foundation in less than a year. Last April, the university received the highest ranking in a new Carnegie classification that measures both earnings after college and the ability to access a college education regardless of socioeconomic background. Pacific earned the highest possible recognition—“Higher Access, Higher Earnings”—in the new Student Access and Earnings Classification.

Read about more community outreach initiatives in Pacific Magazine and the Pacific Newsroom.