On Jan. 29, the University of Connecticut received the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a special designation given to only 40 colleges and universities across the United States. The award is given to those who demonstrate an institutional commitment to community engagement and work to “transform their knowledge into meaningful action,” according to UConn Today.
The application for this award requires self-study from the institution, which is then reviewed by a national committee to confirm the details. This is where The Daily Campus Editorial Board takes issue with the validity of this award. In this process, university officials have actively studied and reported its approach to community outreach and engagement, and so it is clear that the university sees the life and will of its students. We have previously written on the need for an engaged campus community and advocated for students to make their voices heard whenever possible, but this is all in the face of an administration that makes it very difficult to do so. In this sense, we recognize the hypocrisy of the administration taking such pride in their community and recognizing the strength and merit of an engaged student body and faculty.
Instead of publicizing their praise for this community and their pride at receiving such an award, UConn must do better to actually listen to its students and give their voices the respect they deserve. In all types of areas, students — and more recently faculty — have been expressing their clear opposition to university policies they see as having adverse impacts, yet their voices are largely incapable of pushing the administration. There have also been many instances where specific opportunities to listen to community voices have fallen short of what was expected or hoped for, as with the past Sustainability Town Hall, the current Budget Town Halls and the recent office hours with President Radenka Maric.
These communications failures from the university have all been written about before by the Editorial Board. We reemphasize what is happening here not only because it is a systemic issue that shows no signs of changing despite the many new conflicts wherein the university has failed to do better by their community, but also because this new award shows a strong misalignment of values. The university must place actual value in its community by respecting it and listening to it, not by placing it on a pedestal to brag about and publicize. It is this thin veneer which shows the university cares more about its image than its actions, about what it can gain from this award than what it really means. If UConn is serious about the “responsibility” that this award places on its bearers, then we must see it do more to fulfill that.
Thanks