WCU Is Recognized as One of the Philadelphia Region’s 50 Most Community-Minded Employers
West Chester University has been named a 2026 honoree of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia for the fifth consecutive year.
The honor comes from the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, in partnership
with globally recognized nonprofit Points of Light, lead partner the Philadelphia
Foundation, and other local partners.
Modeled after Points of Light’s national program, the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia measures and recognizes civic-minded companies using their time, talent, and resources to drive social impact within their organizations and communities, setting the standard for civic engagement in the region.
Honorees represent private and public companies, nonprofits, agencies, and institutions operating in the 11-county Greater Philadelphia region. They have been selected based on four dimensions of their community engagement program:
- Investment of resources;
- Integration across business functions;
- Institutionalization through policies and systems; and
- Impact measurement.
This year, WCU ranked in the top 20% of large employers (500+ employees) for its integration and culture of community-mindedness. WCU’s overall score was in the top 20% for overall benchmarks.
“This recognition reflects the collective commitment of WCU students, faculty, and staff who dedicate their time, talents, and resources to strengthening our communities,” said Dr. Rita Patel Eng, senior director of WCU’s Center for Community Engagement & Social Impact (CCESI). “Through community-engaged learning, volunteerism, community partnerships, and initiatives that respond to community-identified needs, our campus community brings WCU’s mission to life by preparing students to contribute to the common good. Being recognized for the fifth consecutive year — and earning the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification — affirms the meaningful impact of this shared commitment and the importance of building mutually beneficial partnerships that create lasting change.”
WCU engages communities on the local, state, national, and global levels. Service learning is an integral component of many courses at West Chester and the keystone of the Honors College. As a public institution, WCU’s primary community-engagement efforts focus on addressing community-identified needs throughout the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, encompassing Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester counties.
Adding to this regional honor, earlier this year, the University also earned the national Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation recognizing an institution’s commitment to community engagement.