Public service is democracy in action.
To realize our founding mission of educating for public flourishing by graduating ethically minded students committed to the public good and supporting research, teaching, and programming that fosters healthy and just communities.
Core ValuesCuriosity. Creativity. Courage. Collaboration.What's happening...
From Colony to Country: The Revolutionary World of John Page and Lewis Burwell
When: June 8, 2025, 2 p.m. A drama featuring a visit by Lewis Burwell of Fairfield to John Page's home, Rosewell, includes discussions by the Virginia patriots, their wives, and enslaved people working around them during the summer of 1775. They enact uncertainties regarding government decisions, household harmony, and the future.
Public Service Week
When: October 6-12, 2025 Highlighting the contributions of UVA students, staff, and faculty to public service, outreach, community-engaged teaching, public impact research, and the pursuit of careers in public service, all at the heart of the University’s “great and good” mission.
What we do...
Center for the Liberal Arts
Providing content-rich professional development for K-12 teachers.
Engaged UVA
The front door to community partnerships at UVA, designed to connect faculty, students and communities to mutually beneficial research and teaching programs.
The Gibbons Project
The Gibbons Project works to expand what we know about slavery and its legacies at the University of Virginia, to continue identifying and connecting with living descendants, to developing digital humanities ensuring documentary accessibility, and to leading the Universities Studying Slavery consortium.
Institute for Practical Ethics
Supporta the integration of ethics across the university by facilitating interdisciplinary faculty collaboration in teaching and research, and by training students to develop an ethical lens for all their academic and professional work.
Morven Sustainability Lab
Morven is a place-based, land-centered sustainability lab where a community of faculty, students, staff, visiting scholars and community members explore, discover, and co-create more enduring and just ways of multi-species living in the world.
Public Interest Technology
Support faculty thinking about the public implications of emerging technologies.
Public Service Pathways
Empower, inspire, and connect students to public service as a personal commitment and a lifelong practice.
Mellon Race, Place & Equity Program
Develop programming, support post-docs, and build community partnerships examining the intersection of race, place, and equity.
ROTC
The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program is one of UVA's most important public service opportunities. ROTC prepares students to become future leaders who serve and give back to their communities and country.
Virginia Humanities
Help all Virginians tell their stories through public humanities programming across the Commonwealth.
Louis P. Nelson
Vice Provost for Academic Outreach, Director, UVA Public History Fellowships (Dept of Architectural History), Senior Editor, Race, Place and Justice book series (UVA Press)
Quick Guides
Academic Outreach resources by topics such as civic engagement, public outreach, thriving communities, and Virginia K-12.