Institutionalizing community engagement: A quantitative approach to identifying patterns of engagement based on institutional characteristics

Abstract

Community engagement is recognized as a high-impact practice in higher education. However, while best practices in engagement have been broadly accepted, standard metrics for engage- ment across institutions have not yet been established. The purpose of this research study was to explore the relationship between community engagement and a variety of institutional charac- teristics among higher education institutions in a Southeastern state. Findings indicated that a pattern of engagement existed among the 48 participating institutions.