Bates College has received national recognition from the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its commitment to community engagement and for supporting graduates in achieving competitive wages.
Last week, ACE and Carnegie announced that Bates was awarded the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. This classification highlights collaboration between higher education institutions and their communities, focusing on mutual benefit through partnership.
Darby Ray, director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates, said that inspiration for this work comes from opportunities available through the college’s location. “The Carnegie recognition is a wonderful affirmation of the college’s dual commitment to high impact student learning and community well-being, as well as the off-campus community’s investment in our students,“ said Ray, who also serves as the Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement.
Ray emphasized that mutual respect and a desire for collaboration are key factors in successful partnerships. “The result of it is that Bates students have meaningful opportunities to work alongside community leaders to develop and apply knowledge and skills to address real-world challenges like public health, affordable housing, and arts-based economic development.”
Bates was among approximately 230 institutions nationwide—and the only one in Maine—to receive this classification. The designation remains valid until 2032 but must be reapplied for periodically.
In a letter to Bates, ACE and Carnegie wrote: “Your institution’s application documented excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement,” commending what they called “exemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement.”
Programs such as Aspirations Days offer middle school students from Auburn Middle School and Lewiston Middle School exposure to college life through workshops led by Bates students. Each year between 500 and 600 eighth-grade students visit campus as part of these initiatives.
The award letter noted that Bates has deepened partnerships with clarity amid changing federal policy landscapes affecting higher education.
In addition to this honor, in 2025 Bates was recognized under ACE and Carnegie’s Student Access and Earnings Classification—introduced in 2022—which focuses on student success by identifying colleges providing access to underrepresented groups along with pathways toward earning competitive wages after graduation.
Data show that eight years after enrolling at Bates—typically four years into post-graduation employment—graduates’ median earnings are 68 percent above those from comparable institutions.
“Both these designations speak to the deep and rewarding experiences Bates has to offer to students,” said President Garry W. Jenkins. “We’re committed to our community and we’re giving our undergraduates meaningful educational experiences not just on our campus, but within the Lewiston-Auburn region we care about so much. They’re volunteering in public schools and museums. They’re consulting and conducting research in a wide range of areas, from sustainability to water quality and asbestos remediation, and studying the history and culture of this community.”
Jenkins noted that many graduates maintain ties with Maine or continue building connections elsewhere: “We see this reflected in how many Bates graduates stay in the state — a little more than 12 percent — or how they develop the habit of building community connections in their future neighborhoods and communities across the country and the world.”
“At Bates, we believe that students from all backgrounds should have access to the transformative power of education,” Jenkins added. “That is and always has been part of our mission. To know that their Bates education is helping graduates thrive in their careers is reason to celebrate.”
