About the Project
The project targets undergraduates enrolled at
institutions that are members of the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities (AASCU). The project grows out of a concern about decreasing rates
of participation in the civic life of America in voting, in advocacy, in local
grassroots associations, and in other forms of civic engagement that are
necessary for the vitality of our democracy. The goals of the project are:
1.) to increase the number of undergraduate
students who understand and are committed to engaging in meaningful civic
actions by asking participating institutions to review and restructure academic
programs and processes, extracurricular programs and activities, and the
institutional culture; and
2.) to focus the attention of policy makers and opinion leaders on the civic
value of the college experience. This project uses the definition of civic
engagement proposed by Thomas Ehrlich and his colleagues in Civic Responsibility
and Higher Education:
“ Civic engagement means 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. It means promoting the quality of life
in a community, through both political and non-political processes.”
(Preface, page vi)
“ A morally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or
herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social
problems to be at least partly his or her own; such an individual is willing
to see the moral and civic dimensions of issues, to make and justify informed
moral and civic judgments, and to take action when appropriate.”
(Introduction, page xxvi).
The project seeks to
1.) create a national conversation among many campuses about the theory and
practice of civic engagement;
2.) develop institutional commitment by involving senior administrators,
faculty, staff and students; by addressing core institutional mission and
purpose; and by focusing on civic engagement as a learning outcome for
undergraduates;
3.) initiate new projects, courses and teaching strategies, extracurricular
programs, and other programs to increase civic engagement, supported by the
national project office;
4.) measure the civic engagement outcomes of undergraduates on participating
campuses, and assess the impact of this project in contributing to greater civic
engagement outcomes; and;
5.) disseminate the models that result to a wide audience of higher education
institutions, individuals, and policy makers.
The project initially will involve 144 member
campuses of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU),
representing more than 1.3 million students. The national project is directed by
the American Association of State Colleges and Universities; a project
co-director comes from The New York Times. Direction and support comes from a
group of presidents and chancellors that serve on the AASCU Committee on the
Undergraduate Experience; operational guidance comes from a group of chief
academic officers who serve as the Implementation Committee. The project is
assisted by a number of colleagues that work in civic engagement and related
fields who serve on an Advisory Committee.
