Update from Study Group on Civic Learning and Engagement

Board of Higher Education Meeting | October 29,2013

Update from Study Group on Civic Learning and Engagement

Charge: BHE charged DHE in March 2012 to develop plan for incorporating a key outcome on civic education and engagement in future Vision Project reports

National Leader: Massachusetts is the first and only state to require public higher education institutions to include civic learning and engagement as an expected student learning outcome

Background


Democracy Commitment Video

Video available at http://vimeo.com/70618440

http://vimeo.com/70618440


Reviewed the literature and created an inventory of current practices▪ Finding that civic learning is not a central academic expectation;

exists on the periphery

Created a definition of civic learning and engagement

Developed objectives and goals Driving question: What does a civically-engaged

campus look like and what knowledge, skills and values do citizens need? ▪ Massachusetts Institutional Rubric for the Promotion and

Development of Civic Learning and Engagement▪ Massachusetts Civic Learning and Engagement Assessment Framework

Summary of Tasks


Recommendation One: Definition Adopt the goal and definition of civic learning and engagement:▪ Goal: To prepare individuals for effective democratic participation, which

promotes growth of healthy communities, global economic vitality, social and political well-being and democratic human interactions.

▪ Definition of civic learning: Engendering knowledge, skills, values and competencies that citizens in a democracy need to carry out their civic responsibility—through participation in civic engagement, academic coursework, co-curricular activities, and off-campus programming. Students should have an understanding of the United States, other world societies, and the relationship between these constituencies.

▪ Definition of civic engagement: Faculty, staff, and students in reciprocal partnerships with public, private and non-profit organizations in communities (local, regional, statewide, national, and global) to address critical social issues and align curriculum, scholarship, research and creative activity with the public good.

Draft Recommendations


Recommendation Two: Internal Assessment Require each institution to submit an internal assessment of its

capacity to achieve the Vision Project goal of Preparing Citizens, using the Institutional Rubric.

Recommendation Three: Master Plans Require each institution to describe how they include civic learning

and engagement as an expected and measurable learning outcome for all students in their five-year master plans.



Recommendation Four: Program Approvals Require institutions to describe how new academic programs will

address civic learning and engagement as an expected learning outcome of all students in their applications for BHE approval.

Recommendation Five: Faculty Collaborate with the various faculty unions to enlist their support

for including engaged scholarship in the evaluation criteria for hiring, retention, promotion and tenure.




Recommendation Six: Student Learning Assessment Pursue research and development of appropriate infrastructure to

support the measurement of the complex student learning outcomes of civic learning and civic engagement to allow institution-to-institution and state-to-state comparison.

A. CCSSE/NSSEE consortium B. Develop the capacity to track information through the state’s central

higher education database (HEIRS)C. Consider expanding the Advancing a Massachusetts Culture of

Assessment (AMCOA) project to include an exploratory pilot study of civic learning and engagement with interested institutions


Recommendation Seven: Support Facilitate and support the implementation of civic learning and

engagement as an expected learning outcome for all students.

Recommendation Eight: College Readiness Address civic learning and engagement in college-readiness initiatives

to ensure that entering college students have the skills and background to be successful in college-level civic learning and engagement academic experiences.
