glm revised

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Developing Civically Engaged Students Annual ADP National Meeting Albuquerque, New Mexico August 1, 2004

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The trouble…is that we have taken our democracy for granted; we have thought and acted as if our forefathers had founded it once and for all. We have forgotten that it has to be enacted anew in every generation. John Dewey Dewey reminded us…

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Concerns about our Democracy Concerns about our Institutions The American Democracy Project is framed by two issues:

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What are the Concerns about our Democracy?

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Specific Concerns Decline in social capital Lack of civic understanding Decline in civics education in K-12 grades Growing inequality Decline in political participation, esp. among the youngest adults Threats in an era of terrorism

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A Decline in Social Capital

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In a survey in 2002, the following percentage of the American public could NOT identify the 5 freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution: 42% could not identify freedom of speech 82% could not identify freedom of religion 86% could not identify freedom of the press 90% could not identify freedom of assembly 98% could not identify freedom of petition A Lack of Civic Understanding

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Only 56% of high school students take the courses recommended in A Nation at Risk. Only 5 states require a high school exit exam in civics or related topics. On the NAEP exam, only 26% of 12th graders demonstrated proficiency in civic understanding Courses stress government structure and process, as well as wars and heroes, not issues and analysis Zero tolerance teaches more than courses do about democracy A Decline in Civic Education K-12

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Income Inequality and Political Polarization Growing Inequality

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Decline in Political Participation The youngest generation of voters has the greatest distrust of others Source: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

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25+ turnout 18-24 turnout Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), November Supplement, calculated using CIRCLE method. The youngest voters have the lowest participation in presidential elections

Other examples of the Age Gap in Voting : 

Other examples of the Age Gap in Voting Rutgers University study Percentage of women who say they always vote in local and national elections

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Karthick Ramakrishnan and Mark Baldassare, The Ties That Bind: Changing Demographics and Civic Engagement in California (2004) www.ppic.org

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Ben Franklin Terror as a Threat to our Democracy

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What are the Concerns about our Institutions?

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Decreasing focus on liberal education Decreasing focus on teaching Decreasing focus on undergraduates Increasing focus on research Increasing allegiance to disciplines Increasing focus on career outcomes Post WWII

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Accelerating Trends Steep declines in public funding Rapid changes in technology Growth of for-profit universities Increase in merit, not needs-based scholarships Increasing expectations for accountability And then came the 21st century

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What is public about public higher education? The core question for public colleges and universities:

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AASCU believes that the solution is not to become more private but to become more explicitly public 3 obligations… To students To place To country Public Higher Education

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What are our obligations to ensure that students have access to high quality programs, adequate support, and substantive outcomes? In the focus on STUDENTS, the key question is:

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What is the role of higher education in the development of its community and region? In the focus on PLACE, the key question is:

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What is the role of higher education in the development of citizens? In the focus on COUNTRY, the key question is:

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American Democracy Project Design Components

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Three (3) year initiative Campuses start when and where they are 191 Colleges and Universities, 1.7+ million students Year One: campus conversations, audit Years Two and Three: multiple activities Campus-specific AASCU, The New York Times, and all our friends: Supporters, Connectors, Facilitators  Project Design

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Increase understanding of democracy’s conceptual and historical roots Create understanding of contemporary issues and events Provide opportunities to learn and experience core processes of civic engagement Develop a commitment to act, to become involved in the life of the community The American Democracy Project seeks to:

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What is our Goal? Outcomes for Students Campuses can be engaged….. Faculty can be engaged….. But that doesn’t guarantee student engagement Campus and faculty engagement are necessary but insufficient conditions

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Campuses are using the American Democracy Project to: Identify and recognize existing activities Link similar initiatives Create new projects and programs A Focus on Institutional Intentionality

Definition of Civic Engagement: 

Definition of Civic Engagement “Working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference” “Promoting ” the quality of life in a community through both political and non-political processes. Thomas Ehrlich, Ed. Civic Responsibility and Higher Education 2000

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191 projects with regional and national support Campus specific: local goals, local definitions, local timeline Non-partisan Collaborative, within and between campuses Key Features American Democracy Project

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Campus Conversation Steering committee composition Use of key readings (Educating Citizens and discussion guide) Institutional mission and other contextual issues Defining civic engagement for your campus Identifying areas of possible focus Specific activities that the Committee might undertake Things to consider when starting the conversation…

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Campus Conversation Examples of Discussion Questions Building blocks 1.       How do we define civic education? 2.       What is / should be higher education’s responsibilities / role in civic education? 3.       What kind of civic education would / should we sponsor? What not? Inventory 1.       What events / activities / courses already offered by / through the university have some civic education content? What is that content? Can we capitalize on it? 2.       Can a mechanism be developed that provides on-going information instead of capturing a snapshot? University culture 1.       Who will have to approve of this definition of civic education in order for it to be accepted by the stakeholders of the university? From Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne

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Campus Audit Part One: Institutional Intentionality Part Two: Academic Focus on Civic Engagement  Where is civic engagement found in the academic areas of campus? Curricular Focus on Civic Engagement Teaching and Learning Student Experiential Learning Colleges and Departments Programs Policies, Codes, Standards of Conduct Part Three: Co-Curricular Focus on Civic Engagement  Where can civic engagement activities be found in the co-curricular life on campus? Part Four: Evaluations of civic engagement How is your campus evaluating civic engagement?

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Accomplishments First Year

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Meetings AASCU meetings # of Participants Snowbird, July 2003 183 Tampa, February 2004 140 Albuquerque, August 2004 290 Regional Meetings Indiana 60 Wisconsin 27 New York 93 New Jersey 26 Oklahoma 170 California 20 Louisiana 28 Minnesota 66 Kentucky 30 Accomplishments First Year

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“Inside The Times” Student newspaper editors on American Democracy Project campuses went to The New York Times on February 20th to learn about the role of a newspaper in a democracy. More than 170 participated in the program. Accomplishments First Year

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Wingspread Conference June 6-9, 2004 Supported by the Johnson Foundation and The New York Times, this conference was designed to develop a guide for presidents/ chancellors and other senior university leaders who want to create a civically engaged university; 38 participants; publication out this fall. Accomplishments First Year

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National Student Essay Contest Students from AASCU institutions submitted essays on civic engagement to The New York Times Accomplishments First Year

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FYI (Film Your Issue) National Student Film Competition FYI, created by a group of entertainment executives, encourages students to develop 30 second PSA about issues they care about. Campuses will submit finalists for a national competition. Accomplishments First Year

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NSSE Survey Questions 32 Campuses in NSSE Consortium; 13,000+ students participated in Spring 2004 Survey How important to you is each of the following issues or causes? Below are some activities that you might have done in the past year. Please indicate if you did it and why you did it. Where do you generally get most of your information about each of the following? Accomplishments First Year

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Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Campus Compact Journey Towards Democracy Democracy Matters Friends of the American Democracy Project P.O.V. (Point of View) POD Network Public Achievement Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Democracy Lab National Constitution Center Justice Talking / Justice Learning Partnership for Public Service

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Center for Democracy and Citizenship Imagining America CIRCLE (University of Maryland) By the People Film Your Issue (FYI) Declaration of Independence Road Trip New Voters Project National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Election Assistance Commission More Friends of the American Democracy Project

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Plans for Next Year (2004-2005) The New York Times Film Series, The Times/Discovery Channel Student Newspaper Editors at The NYT National Student Essay Contest Newspaper Program Speakers Full Page Ads

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Focus on the Scholarship of Civic Engagement September 18, 2004, University of Michigan Julie Ellison, “Imagining America Project” Plans for Next Year (2004-2005)

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Civic Engagement in the First Year September 28-29, Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the National Constitution Center Kitty Kolbert, John Gardner, other participants Plans for Next Year (2004-2005)

Plans for Next Year (2004-2005): 

Plans for Next Year (2004-2005)  P.O.V. (Point of View) Democracy in Action Film Series Thirst: Water is becoming the catalyst for explosive community resistance to globalization and the conflict between public stewardship and private profit. Every Mother's Son: Three New York mothers, whose sons were killed in police actions, unexpectedly find themselves united to seek justice and transform their grief into an opportunity for social change. A Panther in Africa: In 1969, a young Black Panther, arrested for transporting a gun in Missouri, fled to Tanzania. Today, 30 years later, he confronts very different challenges.

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 P.O.V. (Point of View) Democracy in Action Film Series (continued) Freedom Machines: A new look at disability through the lens of technology. Engineers, designers and users challenge barriers in our built environments. Farmingville: The hate-based attempted murders of two Mexican day laborers on Long Island focuses on illegal immigration and the 'American dream.’ Last Man Standing: A Texas Political Journey: A lively, behind-the-scenes look at a pair of 2002 elections in Texas. Bill's Run: A Political Journey in Rural America: Bill Kassebaum, a rancher and father of two, decides to run for the Kansas House of Representatives.

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FYI (Film Your Issue) second round Democracy Matters Democracy Lab Youth 04 Regional Meetings Democracy Day (September 17th) Plans for Next Year (2004-2005)

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Opportunities for Civic Engagement on Campus and in the Community

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Opportunities For Action General Education First Year Programs Voter Registration Education Faculty Development Service Learning Campus Culture Assessment Co-Curriculum Libraries Teacher Education

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Using your campus Communications Office effectively Building a campus website Contributing to the AASCU and New York Times websites Writing articles and news releases Creating awards and recognition programs Telling the Story

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National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) http://www.indiana.edu/~nsse/ UCLA’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) http://www.gseis.ucla/heri/heri.html Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) www.civicyouth.org Assessment Resources

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The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference and undernourishment  Robert Hutchins