Moral and Civic Engagement & the American Democracy Project
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. - Winston Churchill

 

Western Kentucky University and American Democracy Project
Doug McElroy

 

Contents of the Page

WKU Contacts for ADP Initiatives	WKU Awards for Civic Engagement activities
AACSU E-Newsletter & Conferences	Background Links
Materials for Book,"Engaging Citizens"	WKU Programs for Student Moral and Civic Engagement
Resources for the American Democracy Project	WKU Resources for Faculty

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WKU Contacts for ADP Initiatives (Sample Activities for Each Initiative)

New York Times in the Classroom: Sally Kuhlenschmidt, FaCET

Topper Talks: Conversations Using the New York Times (Spring 2006)

Democracy in Other Lands: Doug McElroy

Alliance of Universities for Democracy; Debating Democracy blog; The United Nations at 60: Successes, Failures, and Possibilities (Fall 2005).

Electoral Voice: Organizing for Voting - Molly Kerby, Women's Studies

Case Study for Voting; Survey on Voting.

Foundations of Democracy: The First Year of College - Nathan Phelps, University Experience

Library Module for UC 175 on Stewardship of Public Lands; UC 175 Reader has Content on Engagement; Civic Engagement in Residential Learning Communities; UE 275 Seminar in Civic Engagement (in development)

Participatory Citizenship: American Democracy and the Jury System - Jackie Pope-Tarrance, Psychology

Civic Responsibility & the Jury System - Spring 2006.

Stewardship of Public Lands - Phil Lienesch, Biology.

The Wolves of Yellowstone: Science, Stewardship & Civic Engagement student class.

First Amendment First - Pam Johnson, Journalism & Broadcasting

Samples: Right to Privacy; Political Cartoons; Film Your Issue; Banned Book Exhibition; Social Activisim at Any Age: "Maggie Growls"

Constitution Week - Saundra Ardrey, Political Science

NEW: Political Engagement Project - Saundra Ardrey, Political Science

NEW: Teacher Education - John Moore, Curriculum and Instruction.

Selected ADP Events, not belonging to a particular Initiative

Instructional Tools for Civic Engagement (Screen Savers, Quotation page); Einstein on Race and Racism (Spring 2006); Signing of Declaration of Independence or UN Universal Human Rights (Spring 2006);

AASCU E-Newsletter & Conferences (.pdf)

• Call for Proposals for National Conference 2006 To submit a presentation, go to www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224WRERCMYZ
• April 2006 Newsletter
• March 2006 Newsletter
• December 2005 Newsletter
• September 2005 Newsletter
• May 2005 Newsletter
• Bowling Alone
• aascu Draft of Campus Audit

Background Links

• American Association of State Colleges and Universities
• The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
• The New York Times American Democracy Project News Release (see Civic Engagement Resources)
  • American Democracy Project (ADP)
  • Civic Engagement News
  • Knowledge Network
• Campus Compact (WKU is a member)

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Materials for Book, "Educating Citizens"

A Study Guide for Educating Citizens

12 Institutions Cited in "Educating Citizens"

Moral/Civic Competencies Approach

• Alverno College
• Tusculum College
• Duke University

Community Connections Approach

• Portland State University
• Spelman College
• Kapi'olani Community College

Moral and Civic Virtue Approach

• United States Air Force Academy
• Turtle Mountain Community College
• Messiah College

Social Justice Approach

• California State University, Monterey Bay
• University of Notre Dame
• the College of St. Catherine

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Resources for the American Democracy Project

Screensavers to teach lessons about democracy (http://www.wku.edu/teaching/engagement/adp/)

From the American Association of State Colleges and Universities/American Democracy Project

• Background Documents
  • The American Democracy Project (ADP): Civic Engagement, Higher Education, and the 21st century. A cooperative project of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), The New York Times, and the AASCU Member Institutions. (The Complete Proposal in pdf)
  • The American Democracy Project (ADP): Project Abstract (pdf format)
  • ADP Consultants (pdf format)
  • Campus Compact: Chief Academic Officers' Colloquium on Engaged Teaching and Learning (pdf format)
  • Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL). (pdf format)
  • The New York Times salutes the launch of the American Democracy Project (full page ad listing members). (pdf format)
  • Suggested Readings: The American Democracy Project (pdf format)
    
    
• Presentations and Handouts from summer 2003 AASCU meeting
  • Mehaffy, G. (2003). American Democracy Project. (Powerpoint presentation)
  • Guskin, A. (2003). Dealing with the Future Now: Principles for Creating a Vital Campus in a Climate of Restricted Resources (Powerpoint presentation)
  • Guskin, A. and Marcy, M. Dealing with the Future Now: Principles for Creating a Vital Campus in a Climate of Restricted Resources. (pdf format)
  • Harper, S. (2003). Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. American Democracy Project Implementation. (Powerpoint presentation).
  • Lieberman, D. (2003). Designing Campus Conversations and the Project. (Powerpoint presentation)
  • New York Times. (2003). The New York Times Knowledge Network & the American Democracy Project. (Powerpoint presentation).
  • Satz, R. (2003). Engaging Students in WisconsinUW-Eau Claire Pilots AASCU’s American Democracy Project. (Powerpoint presentation.)


• Presentations and Handouts from summer 2004 AASCU meeting
  • The presentation is a discussion of what the American Democracy Project (ADP) is, why public institutions need to care about it, and a description of the design, accomplishments and plans for the ADP.
    National American Democracy Project Update (952 KB).ppt
    George L. Mehaffy, Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change
  
  
  • This presentation is focused on the possibility and acceptability of faculty engagement in service learning including a number of ‘how-to' and operational considerations.
    The Scholarship of Civic Engagement (100 KB).ppt
    Robert G. Bringle, Director of the Center for Service and Learning, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis
    
  • This is a three page call to seriously consider the need to foster intellectual diversity and difference of opinion on college campuses.
    Political Bias (36 KB).doc by Ehrlich and Colby
  
  
  • The file is a description of public television programming and outreach associated with the By The People project and includes a state-by-state listing of By The People projects and initiatives.
    Reaching Beyond the Campus (212 KB).doc
    Gail M. Leftwich, Executive Director, By the People, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions
  
  
  • This PowerPoint is a review of what is know about student civic engagement, approaches to the study of engagement and the impact of service learning.
    Research on Assessment of Civic Engagement (564 KB).ppt
    Linda Sax, Director, Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP), University of California, Los Angeles
  
  
  • Dean Adam Wineburg led a year-long consideration of what Colgate University should do regarding civic education. In his speech to the American Democracy Project he expanded that experience into a set of recommendations and considerations for all of American higher education. He argues that there is a difference between an engaged campus and one that actively teaches civic education, that we must move beyond values to the skills and habits of active engagement in a democratic society, and that democracy must be understood as something we are responsible for producing. He promotes the end of the bifurcation of academic and student affairs with respect to civic education recommending a harmonized and mutually undertaking responsibility to take advantage of every teachable moment.
    Civic Engagement: A Campus-Wide Commitment (92 KB).doc
    Adam S. Weinberg, Dean of the College, Colgate University
  
  
• Toolkit for Service Learning projects on the Gulf Coast
  • Toolkit
    Learn and Serve America engaged Marsha Nye Adler, Ph.D., to develop a toolkit for college groups to help them organize service trips to the Gulf Region during winter, spring, and summer breaks. Working with Break Away, the Alternative Break Connection, college organizations that already have organized successful trips to the Gulf Region, and Gulf-based community organization, Dr. Adler has created a guide to help groups make contacts with community organizations in the Gulf Area, consider the range and suitability of service options, recruit and train students and others on their campuses, plan and prepare for the service trip, and help reflect and report on the experience.
    
    To access the toolkit, go to http://www.servicelearning.org/filemanager/download/urap/Universities_Rebuilding_America_Partnership.pdf.
    
    For additional information and background reading on service learning and disaster preparedness, go to: http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/hurricane_katrina/index.php.
    
    For questions or advice about using the toolkit and contacts to college organizations that have completed successful service trips, please contact Marsha Adler at marshaadler@aol.com or 650-962-9054.

• Possible Summer Readings for first year students. From Castleton State College Spring 2004. Includes evaluation plan.
  

• Applied Research and Technology Program
• Girls to Women in Science
• Interdisciplinary Leadership Major
• American Humanics
• Dynamic Leadership Program
• Student Volunteer Bureau
• Alive Center
• Library Outreach
  • Southern Kentucky Festival of Books
  • FarAway Places
  • Kentucky Live
  • Kentucky Museum
• Corridor Project working with the Pluralism Project and the Louisville Institute (Religious Studies)
• “Metropolitan Development and Race Relations in Bowling Green/Warren County: A Social Ethics Research Project,” co-sponsored by the Bowling Green Human Rights Commission (Religious Studies)
• The Mountain Workshops
• many activities with the Housing Authority of Bowling Green
• many Housing and Residence Life programs
• community projects by many student clubs and in many courses, for example, Beta Alpha Psi assists students and the elderly in doing income taxes, and fifteen students of the Institute for Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences developed house plans for Habitat for Humanity

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WKU Resources for Faculty

• Teaching Civic Engagement: Instructional Tools (screen saver, extensive collection of quotations).
• CD from the U.S. Department of State called "Democracy in Action".
• Assessing Service-Learning and Civic Engagement: Principles and Techniques by Gelmon, Holland, Driscoll, Spring, and Kerrigan. From Campus Compact.
• Public Work & the Academy: An academic administrator's guide to civic engagement and service-learning by Langseth & Plater, Eds.
• Reweaving the Social Tapestry: Toward a public philosophy and policy for families by Browning & Rodriguez.
• Tools and Insights for Universities Called to Regional Stewardship. Published by Alliance for Regional Stewardship, AASCU, & National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. Includes case study of Northern Kentucky University.
• Fall 2003 Book Club for Colby, Ehrlich, Beaumont, & Stephens. (2003). Educating Citizens: Preparing America's Undergraduates for Lives of Moral and Civic Responsibility. Contact Ellen Bonaguro <ellen.bonaguro@wku.edu>
• Grants pertaining to the ADP
• Jason Stephens presentation (August 12, 2003). Engaging Students, Educating Citizens: Moral and Civic Learning Inside and Beyond the Classroom. (Powerpoint format)
• John Hardin, compiler. (July 2003) Western Kentucky University Civic Engagement Campus Audit for American Democracy Project (rtf format)
• SACS Quality Enhancement Plan Theme: Engaging Students for Success in a Global Society.

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