- Community-engaged teaching, research and artistry are making a difference in communities across Northern Illinois and preparing NIU students for meaningful careers. The university’s excellence in community engagement has positioned NIU as one of fewer than 300 U.S. higher education institutions classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Community Engaged Institution.
“At NIU, community engagement and public impact are critical to our mission and central to our identity,” said NIU President Lisa C. Freeman. “These activities enrich our students’ experiences and demonstrate the value of public education by providing economic and civic benefits in collaboration with local government, business, nonprofit and community leaders.”
The classification recognizes institutions that demonstrate a deep commitment to reciprocal, mutually beneficial community-campus partnerships. These principles come to life in the work of faculty, staff, students and community members who collaborate around real-world challenges and opportunities.
“Elevate your partner above yourself. Work on their schedule. Elevate their ideas over yours.”
– NIU Presidential Engagement and Partnerships Professor James Cohen
Cohen offers the above advice to faculty who want to work with community partners. His advice ranges from the workaday (“Start with a level one memorandum of understanding.”) to the philosophical (“Judging will get you nowhere. Just deal with the change.”), honed from years working in countries including the U.S., Tanzania, Costa Rica and Indonesia.
Cohen’s words offer a window into what it means to have a mutually beneficial relationship with the community in a context of partnership and reciprocity.
University-Community Engagement Benefits Students, Faculty and the Community
A year-long self-study by a group of NIU faculty and staff uncovered a wealth of examples to include in the university’s application for its third Carnegie classification.
“Community engagement is in NIU’s DNA,” said retired Vice President of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development Rena Cotsones. “We start by creating and committing to a shared vision with our partners.
“When we combine the expertise and resources of the university and the community, applying best practices in community-engaged research, scholarship and teaching, we create mutual benefit, promote civic engagement and create stronger communities locally, nationally and around the globe.”
NIU’s community partnerships span dozens of academic fields and address a wide variety of community concerns. Here are a few examples:
- Cambodian Cultural Heritage Exhibits and Life History Documentation Project—For two decades, NIU faculty in history, anthropology and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies have partnered with the Chicago-area Cambodian community and the National Cambodian Heritage Museum to document the life stories of Cambodian elders, resulting in several museum exhibitions.
- Evidence-based Restoration of Nachusa Grasslands—NIU biology’s Evidence-based Restoration Lab partners with the Nature Conservancy to restore and study prairie habitat in Illinois’ Lee and Ogle counties. The partnership provides hands-on experience to students and data to help Nachusa Grasslands refine their conservation efforts.
- NIU Engineering at Rock Valley College—Ten years ago, NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology partnered with Rock Valley College and Rockford-area aerospace companies to address a looming engineering talent shortage. More than 100 students have completed their NIU mechanical engineering bachelor’s degrees in Rockford and gone on to work for area companies. Thanks to robust industry ties, most students have paid internships while they proceed through the industry-informed curriculum.
- Project FLEX—NIU kinesiology and physical education partners with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice to provide sports programming and vocational training at Illinois juvenile detention facilities. Project FLEX alumni say the program gave them a different perspective on their future, allowing them to imagine life after incarceration, while NIU students gain teaching and mentorship experience.
NIU’s community engagement takes many additional forms, including harvesting food from campus gardens and donating it to local pantries, partnering with a water reclamation district to track communicable diseases and providing legal counsel to clients of a local homeless shelter. Regardless of the details, one principle is consistent: everyone contributes, everyone learns and everyone benefits.
About the Carnegie Community-Engaged Institution Classification
- The classification is bestowed on only 277 universities.
- It recognizes institutions that excel at collaborating with the community to share knowledge, solve problems and advance research.
- This classification cycle runs through 2032, marking 22 consecutive years of recognition for NIU.
- The reclassification process required a rigorous self-study, which took a year to complete and resulted in a 100-plus-page report of NIU’s engagement activities.
Meet the 2026 Presidential Engagement and Partnerships Professors
This award recognizes NIU faculty who excel at working with community partners to address community needs, advance research, and immerse students in real-world problems and solutions.
Carol Walther, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Since 2014, Walther has partnered with the City of DeKalb, DeKalb County Court Services and the State’s Attorney’s Office. She and her students analyze recidivism data, interview law enforcement and medical professionals, and observe local treatment courts to offer actionable data that criminal justice and mental health professionals can use to improve outcomes. Their work helps keep the community safer while preparing students for careers in the field.
Rosemary Feurer, Ph.D., Professor of History
Feurer is a labor historian who has produced dozens of exhibits, documentaries, walking tours, art and other public history projects that help millions of people encounter history from new perspectives. Feurer works with a coalition of community groups on each project, sharing the processes of inquiry, discussion and creativity. Groups such as Chicago Women in the Trades partnered with Feurer on the Mother Jones Heritage Project, moving history beyond the confines of the university.