|
Purpose:
Since 2003, five colleges and
universities involved with the Bonner Foundation Program have
worked to create a civic engagement academic certificate or
minor. The purpose of this initiative has been to develop
a complementary academic track to a comprehensive community
service based scholarship. The schools involved in this pilot
project include: Mars Hill College (NC), The College of New
Jersey (NJ), Washington and Lee University, UCLA (CA), and
Portland State University (OR). In addition a team of senior
level and distinguished faculty have participated in the conception
and development of this initiative. This group includes professors
from the University of Minnesota, Duke University, Michigan
State University, Rice University and Wagner College (NY).
Finally, another set of institutions—including Colorado
College (CO), Lynchburg College (VA), Morehouse College (GA),
Rutgers-Douglas College (NJ), Saint Mary’s College (CA),
University of Alaska Anchorage, Wagner University (NY), and
West Chester University—have also been inspired to create
civic education related programs and have begun to develop
their own initiatives.
These pages have been designed as resources for individual
and campuses interested in the Bonner Foundation’s Civic
Engagement Certificate programs. They are intended to serve
as a resource for participants to fully understand the Bonner
Program and its newest ongoing initiative to create a curricular
component to the co-curricular service-based scholarship program.
They are also intended to serve as guides for campus representatives
— including administrators, staff, and faculty —
to build and refine one’s own Civic Education programs.
Whether these programs take the form of a certificate, minor,
major, or combination of these forms, the true purpose of
these initiatives is to support the education of students
who possess the knowledge, skills, and commitments to engage
in sustained social change efforts.
Over a series of annual meetings,
the Bonner Foundation has convened practitioners —including
faculty, administrators, and program staff—to share
their ideas, strategies, and practice. Through this process,
we have come to realize that we have the opportunity to document
and share the stories and examples of how these institutions
have worked to institutionalize a civic-oriented academic
program. These web-baed resources will aim to help other campuses,
including those in the Bonner network and outside it, to build
and foster student service and academic connections, made
in a deep and sustained fashion.
If your campus is interested
in creating a Civic Engagement Minor or Certificate program,
you may find downloading this FIPSE
Blueprint helpful. It is a workbook that presents the
pillars and types of courses that campuses who have participated
in this initiative have done. In addition, it offers questions
to work through as you chart your own program. Good Luck!
|
