Community engagement and partnerships are distinguishing characteristics of PSU’s mission, strategies, and operations at every level. University Studies, PSU’s innovative general education curriculum, is nationally acclaimed for its integration of community engagement and interdisciplinary teaching and learning across the four years of the program. Partnerships with Oregon Health & Sciences University, and with public and private organizations, such as the City of Portland and Portland General Electric, create opportunities for faculty and students to engage in cutting-edge research in a variety of areas. Connections with the city’s arts community enable students to learn from professional artists in a thriving urban environment, while the joint emphasis of PSU and the City of Portland on sustainable urban futures provides a laboratory for applied research on transportation and energy alternatives, as well as the development of social structures to support a green future.

Community Based Learning (CBL) is the academic vehicle through which we engage with our community. We define CBL as: "experiential learning that takes place outside the classroom and traditional academic settings. CBL takes place through volunteering and occasionally, via internship placements. CBL is an opportunity for students to take the academic concepts and theories they are learning and apply them in a live, real-world setting. CBL is a venue for engaging the head, heart, and hands while developing relationships and networks in the community."