Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has been recognized for its community engagement by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university has received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, highlighting its ongoing efforts to connect with the five-county region it serves.
The recognition reflects FGCU’s dedication to civic engagement and service-learning, which is a foundational aspect of the institution. The university is among a few public institutions in the United States that require all undergraduates to complete service as a graduation requirement, according to Justin Fitzgerald, director of Community Engagement.
“FGCU lives out its commitment to the community through a unique service-learning graduation requirement of all undergraduates, through community-based research initiatives to enhance life in Southwest Florida and beyond, through over 300 classes that require students to apply their course content to real issues and needs in the community and much more,” Fitzgerald said.
“We are proud to serve the community that rallied to create FGCU in ways that educate students while filling true needs across the region — and we’re excited to be recognized once again by the Carnegie Foundation.”
Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation, commented on higher education’s role: “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 process for receiving this classification involves self-study by each institution. The Carnegie Foundation requires evidence that an institution’s engagement is integrated throughout its systems and structures and that partnerships are reciprocal and mutually beneficial.
Since its last classification cycle, FGCU has expanded initiatives such as increasing courses involving service-learning and community-based research, recruiting more faculty into these practices, broadening partnerships with local organizations, businesses, government agencies, alumni, athletics programs, and improving tracking of engagement efforts.
Since opening in 1997, FGCU students have contributed over 5.3 million service-learning hours in Southwest Florida. Students also gain practical experience through internships with local businesses or research collaborations with partner agencies. The broader community supports FGCU’s athletic teams and participates in more than 250 arts events held annually on campus. Scholarships funded by local contributions help make higher education accessible for future students.
Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said: “The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education’s commitment to the greater good. The beneficiaries of this unflagging dedication to public purpose missions are their students, their teaching and research enterprises, and their wider communities.”
