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Center for Community Engagement
University of Mississippi

Community Engagement at UM

Community engagement is a big phrase that occurs in many different forms, but the essential feature of community engagement is easy to understand. Simply put, it is a partnership between the University of Mississippi and non-higher education collaborators. Community engagement occurs when UM faculty, staff, and/or students partner with non-higher education collaborators in the public or private sectors to accomplish a goal that benefits all parties. Community engagement occurs within all facets of the University’s research, learning, and service missions. Community engagement advances UM’s mission while benefiting society through the discovery, development, and/or dissemination of knowledge that ultimately improves the learning, behavior, and conditions of individuals and communities. 

The simplest way to identify Community Engagement is to look for a mutually beneficial partnership between UM scholars and organizations and people beyond the academy. Whenever a University of Mississippi student, staff, or faculty member collaborates with a community partner to accomplish a goal that benefits all parties – that is community engagement.