The University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement (OPE) is a national leader in advancing community-engaged research, teaching, and outreach that address the most pressing issues of our time. OPE builds and supports infrastructure throughout the University’s five-campus system that promotes deep, mutually beneficial partnerships for scholars, students, and communities throughout Minnesota and beyond.
Established in 2006, the office works with programs, departments, and academic units on five University campuses to establish the institutional culture, policies, and infrastructure that promotes high-quality public engagement as a way to further the University’s mission and improve the quality of life of Minnesotans and communities around the world.
Each year, more than 7,000 University students are involved in community engagement through internships, research projects, and community-engaged learning courses. Nearly 400 University faculty across all campuses identify themselves as community-engaged scholars. And all five University campuses have received the prestigious Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teachings' Elective Classification for Engagement.
A systemwide academic support unit, OPE also oversees four University centers of community-engagement: the Center for Community-Engaged Learning; the Driven to Discover Research Facility; the Center for Urban And Regional Affairs; and the Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center.