Center for Community Engaged Learning
Kean University seeks to establish the Center for Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarship (CCELS) to institutionalize community engagement as a core academic, research, and service mission of the university. This strategic plan outlines the phased development of the Center and provides a roadmap for achieving the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement in the 2029 cycle.
Overview
The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) at Kean University is committed to enriching student learning beyond the classroom by fostering meaningful engagement with the larger community, primarily executed through academic courses led by faculty and staff in collaboration with community organizations, nonprofits, and local businesses. The Center seeks to empower students, faculty, and community partners to collaborate in creating transformative learning experiences and advancing scholarship that addresses real-world challenges.
Advancing Kean's Mission as an Anchor Institution
Kean University is committed to serving as an anchor institution in New Jersey and beyond. By formalizing CCELS, Kean will strengthen its role as a driver of educational access, civic learning, and community partnership. CCELS will:
- Support Kean’s public mission of access and equity through reciprocal partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and municipalities.
- Advance Kean’s role in regional economic and workforce development, consistent with anchor institution commitments.
- Enhance student learning by integrating civic and community engagement across curricula, co-curricula, and research.
- Provide faculty with infrastructure and recognition for community-engaged scholarship.
- Elevate Kean’s visibility nationally through its membership in CUMU (Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities) and peer networks.