Civic Engagement: What, Why and How Iowa Campus Compact Can Help

CIVICENGAGEMENT

What, Why and How

• About Iowa Campus Compact• What is Civic Engagement?• Why is it important? • How you can engage and how we can help

Session Overview

www.iacampuscompact.org

About Us

Member Benefits• Resources• Successful models• Funding• Visibility• Faculty opportunities• Recognition• Professional development• Technical assistance• Advocacy and policy• National movement

About Us

.

WHAT? Civic Engagement

• Service-learning• Community engagement• Community-based research• Civic education• Community experiences• Community-based learning• Democratic practice• Philanthropy education• Other forms of engaged scholarship• Other co-curricular offerings for students

Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities (Seifer and Connors, 2007)

WHAT? Service-Learning

The system of community colleges grew out of a commitment to the democratic principles of access and opportunity; its leaders were philosophically dedicated to the belief that broad engagement of the diverse community will create a strong educational, social, political, and economic fabric. (Cohen & Brawer, 2003)

WHY?

The American Association of Colleges and Universities considers Service Learning/Community-Based Learning a HIGH IMPACT practice

“The idea is to give students direct experience with issues they are studying in the curriculum and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community. A key element in these programs is the opportunity students have to both apply what they are learning in real-world settings and reflect in a classroom setting on their service experiences.”

WHY?High Impact

• Eyler, Giles, Stenson, and Gray (2001) found a range of benefits for students:• academic learning and ability to apply what they have learned in

the “real world”• improves student satisfaction with college, more likely to

graduate• sense of personal efficacy, personal identity, interpersonal

development, ability to work well with others• spiritual and moral development• leadership and communication skills• reducing stereotypes and facilitating cultural and racial

understanding• social responsibility and citizenship skills

WHY?

• 2010 Job Outlook Survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers candidate’s involvement in volunteer work key factor in making hiring decisions

WHY?

• High-quality curricular and co-curricular civic engagement is positively correlated with student success in K-12 schools, community colleges, and public and private four-year colleges and universities (Grantmakers for Education, 2010; Meyer, 2003).

• Peer group interaction key for college student success, service is one way to develop peer relationships (Astin, 1996)

• Service-learning is positively associated with student retention and the likelihood of completing a degree (Astin and Sax, 1998)

WHY?

• Gallini and Moely (2003) effects of service-learning on student retention, academic challenge, academic engagement, interpersonal engagement, and community engagement• surveyed students about engagement, academic

challenge, and persistence• students in service-learning courses scored

significantly higher on all measures

WHY?

• Campus Compact offices of Northern New England study• 770 students at 17 institutions• student survey on how service-learning course affected

them on five measures: retention, academic challenge, academic engagement, interpersonal engagement, and community engagement

WHY?

• AACC, Prentice and Robinson (2010) study

More than 2,000 students • Statistically significant differences between service-

learners and non–service-learners on five out of six learning outcomes

• educational success and academic development, civic responsibility, critical thinking, communication, and career and teamwork.

WHY?

• Today’s students demand opportunities• More interested in service and civic engagement• Need structured, team-oriented opportunities• Want to see how their education will be used in the “real

world”

WHY?

• Advance Planning• Strong, Reciprocal Partnerships• Students As Colleagues• Tie to Learning Outcomes• Don’t Forget Reflection

HOW?High-Quality Engagement

• Prepare yourself – goals, type of service (direct, non-direct, indirect)

• Prepare your partners – site logistics, learning outcomes• Prepare your students – background, larger issues,

expectations and assumptions

HOW?Advance Planning

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) Principles of Partnership • Specific purpose• Agreed upon mission, values, goals, measurable outcomes and

accountability• Mutual trust, respect, genuineness, and commitment• Builds upon identified strengths and assets, works to increase capacity• Balances power among partners• Clear and open communication • Principles and processes established with the input and agreement of all • Feedback among all • Partners share the benefits • Partnerships can dissolve, need plan for closure.

HOW?Partnerships

• Student role in planning and evaluating• Student leadership role in service experiences• Students as research partners

HOW?Students as Colleagues

• Clearly define objective of service-learning element• Design assessment tools• Utilize community partners

HOW?Learning Outcomes

Reflection ”facilitates the students making connections between their service experiences and their learning” (Eyler and Giles, 1999)

• Dialogue• Journaling (writing, video, blog)• Incorporate in exams• Class presentations• Creative projects• Community events

HOW?Reflection

1. Professional development

2. Funding opportunities

3. Student engagement programs

4. Faculty programming

5. Networking and collaboration

6. Information on research and models

7. Dissemination and recognition

HOW?IACC Can Help

• Monthly webinars – next one is January 17 on Economic Development

• Iowa Workshops – three per year, next one is on engaged scholarship at Clarke University April 12

• Regional Summit – May 29 and 30 at Loras College in Dubuque

• Other opportunities – STEM Conference in May, Peer Coaching Circles, campus-specific training and technical assistance

IACC – Professional Development

• AmeriCorps and VISTA• Campus Speaker Network • Faculty Fellowships• Notices on other grant opportunities

IACC - Funding

• AmeriCorps and VISTA• Day of Service • Alternative Breaks • National Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows• NEW in 2013: Civic Ambassadors Network

IACC – Student Engagement

• Professional development learning and dissemination opportunities

• Research and course models• Awards and recognition• NEW in 2013: Engaged Scholarship Faculty Fellows

IACC – Faculty Programming

• Research publications: Engaged Learning Economies, A Promising Connection

• Hundreds of syllabi and models• Civic Engagement Journals

IACC – Research and Models

• Publishing and presentation opportunities• Ten Years of Engagement: 2013 Iowa Campus Compact

Anniversary Awards• National Campus Compact Ehrlich Award

IACC – Dissemination/Recognition

Questions? Discussion?

Information and resources at:www.iacampuscompact.org

References• AAC&U High Impact Practices www.aacu.org/leap• Campus Compact “A Promising Connection”

www.compact.org• Faculty Toolkit for Service-Learning in Higher Education

www.servicelearning.org• Campus-Community Partnerships for Health www.ccph.info• Millenials Coming to College

http://www.niu.edu/stuaff/grad_resources/pdfs/Millennials%20Article_AHE.pdf