Civic Knowledge and Engagement

Civic Knowledge and Engagement Outcome:

Apply disciplinary knowledge in order to evaluate principles and practices of civic engagement and make informed decisions

Using this outcome to design a course

One of the historic goals of American colleges and universities has been to advance the public good, but that goal seems to have slipped in recent decades, evidenced, for example, in the statistic that the U.S. ranks 139 among the 172 world democracies. (Civic Engagement, x; Crucible Moment, 1) In the Association of American Colleges and Universities publication, A Crucible Moment, they state: “As a democracy, the United States depends on a knowledgeable, public-spirited, and engaged population. Education plays a fundamental role in building civic vitality, and in the twenty-first century, higher education has a distinctive role to play in the renewal of US democracy." (Crucible Moment, 2) We thus need to engage our students with concepts and skills such as liberty, equality, and collaboration, in both theoretical and practical ways, and so help them to become responsible citizens.

Courses in this category equip students to understand civic institutions and processes and develop knowledge of and critical thinking about civic principles, or to make wise, informed decisions about effective civic action through engaging students in civic activity and scholarly reflection.

The Civic Engagement Guidelines from Santa Clara University, below in resources, is a good starting point for thinking about design. In addition, the rubric below will aid you in constructing your course.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself to determine if your course is a good fit for the Civic Knowledge and Engagement category:

1. Do you instruct on what it means to be a responsible citizen?
2. Do you analyze the workings of governmental or societal institutions?
3. Do you analyze civic institutions from the perspective of your discipline?
4. Do you have assignments that prompt students to reflect on their civic identity?
5. Do your student reflect on why service-learning experiences were beneficial to the community?
6. Do your students think about how to make responsible decisions?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, your course is probably a good fit.

Sample syllabi:

Democracy and Citizenship (Bowling Green State)

Christian Responses to Politics and Poverty (Duke U)

New Civic Politics (U of MN)

Intro to Community and Civic Engagement (Auburn)

Public Service Theory & Practice (UNC Chapel Hill)

Community Service in American Culture (Providence College)

Online resources:

AAC&U and Civic Learning

James Madison University

Center for Community Engagement (CSU)