Community Engagement and Outreach at UMSL is about Partners, Learners, Advocates, Connectors and Educators (P.L.A.C.E.) working to build a stronger community. This includes UMSL students, faculty and staff with an amazing array of community partners.
UMSL is open to you. We take citizenry in action seriously. We encourage engaged scholarship. UMSL seeks to be an optimistic partner that actively listens to diverse viewpoints for understanding and action to create a vibrant future. People at UMSL who focus on engagement strive to make the members of the broader community feel connected and respected; included and valued as part of the community; empowered to be part of something bigger.
We seek to exhibit a spirit of inclusion in: developing engaged citizenship, institutional partnerships, providing community resources, educational outreach, values-driven operations, philanthropy, and engaged research and learning.
Engagement efforts can involve a lot of moving parts. UMSL engages in research, teaching and service to improve the quality of life for people in the metropolitan region and beyond. One of our focuses is to shed a light on social and economic inequalities. We strive to bring voices to the table that come from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
Looking for an event or program, check out the Community Connect portal.
Who We Are
As a public, metropolitan university with a land grant mission, community engagement and outreach is an integral part of our work. UMSL is recognized as a "Community Engaged University" by the Carnegie Foundation. There are actions that need to be taken to continue and increase participation. It is the responsibility of those in higher education to provide opportunities for and inform students about civic and community engagement.
UMSL Strategic Plan
UMSL understands and appreciates its role as a metropolitan land-grant institution – an essential partner in generating an educated work force, enhancing economic development, supporting broad-based service delivery, facilitating neighborhood renewal and fostering inclusion and understanding. The UMSL community is actively engaged in ongoing efforts to ensure that we continue to live out our mission to transform lives. This includes outlining measures and investments to support enrollment growth, enhance student success outcomes, strengthen research and creative works, engage in community engagement and economic development, build inclusive excellence, and to shape our campus and community environment through focused planning, operations and stewardship.
Learn more about the plan and its strategic objectives.
