Community engagement describes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. 

The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; 加强课程、教与学； prepare educated, engaged citizens; 加强民主价值观和公民责任； 解决关键的社会问题； 并为公共利益做出贡献。

（卡内基高等教育机构分类法）

服务学习 is service-based experiential application of course knowledge in real-world situations in which the service benefits the community.   Service-learning experiences are a component of a credit-bearing class, aligned with specific academic learning objectives, and associated with a grade. This unique method of education connects a student's personal, career, and civic interests to learning in the classroom.

服务学习是行动中的教育（约翰·格伦）。

The goals of 服务学习 are multi-faceted:  to enhance academic comprehension through hands-on application of course knowledge, skills and abilities in an experiential learning environment; to contribute to the community by addressing and  meeting community need through research and service; to develop effective servant leaders through holistic leadership development; to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the learning process;  and to foster  reciprocal relationships among the student, faculty, educational institution and the community partner.

服务性学习提高学习成绩； 提高学生留存率；  enhances student learning through application of knowledge / skills / abilities; develops effective servant leaders; 满足社区需要；  reaffirms students' career goals by expanding career knowledge, opportunity and work experience;  strengthens personal character and sense of social responsibility; and motivates students to further engage in the college community; 增强了社区的可持续性。

• 卡内基基金会促进教学社区参与分类。
• 总统高等教育社区服务荣誉榜
• 德州校园社区联盟（正式的德州校园契约）的创始成员。
  
  Collin College's Service-Learning program also received the Campus Compact National Center for Community Colleges Collaboration Award, the nation's highest honor for service-learning programs in community colleges. National Campus Compact has recognized Collin College's Service-Learning program as a model of exemplary civic engagement practices. The Service-Learning program also received the national Bellwether Award in collaboration with the Learning Communities program.