Georgia College & State University this week earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a national certification recognizing the cumulative impact of student service and university partnerships in the Milledgeville area.
The university said nearly 100% of Georgia College students participate in community service during their time on campus, making civic involvement a core part of its mission.
One signature program, GCSU Gives Day, began in 2018 and introduces first-year students to service through partnerships with nonprofits across Milledgeville and Baldwin County. The university said the 2024 event generated an estimated $120,000 economic impact in donated labor from more than 1,600 first-year students.
Over the past 25 years, Georgia College said its Office of Community Engagement and Belonging has facilitated 25,000 volunteers, totaling 1.1 million hours of service with a claimed $26 million impact.
“This Carnegie classification reflects the dedication Georgia College has to a culture of serving our community,” said Dr. Dan Nadler, Georgia College vice president for Student Life and interim dean of students. “Our students give their time and talents to hundreds of organizations, and our faculty lead co-curricular projects for learning outside the classroom with nonprofits and local businesses.”
The university cited more than 200 student organizations on campus, including GC Miracle, which it said has raised over $1 million for Georgia’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, and Best Buddies, which fosters friendships with individuals with disabilities.
“Our colleges and universities … build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of The Carnegie Foundation. “We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors – fostering civic engagement, building useable knowledge and catalyzing real world learning experiences for students.”
The national announcement came from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the university said. Georgia College added that it is one of 277 institutions nationwide recognized under the classification.
Georgia College Director of Community Engagement Ashley Copeland said community-based engaged learning courses generate more than 10,000 documented service hours annually.
The university also highlighted a recent student-led recycling effort in Baldwin County. Dr. Mengyao Xu, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication, arranged for senior capstone students to work with local elementary schools on a battery recycling campaign called “Battery Hero.” The university said the initial campaign diverted more than 27 pounds of used batteries from landfills, and that Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Kristina Brooks asked Xu to expand the project across the district.
