Author Archive
Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Elective Classification webinar
Wednesday, February 20
@ 11am PST / 12pm MST / 1pm CST / 2pm EST
The Carnegie Foundation announced the availability of the 2015 Community Engagement Classification application last week. In an effort to help all of our colleges have the best chance of putting together a successful application we have organized a free webinar for all TDC and ADP member institutions. This webinar will address the application process, discuss what the committee is looking for, reflect on past applicants’ experiences, and give tips on how to make your college stand out. The webinar will be recorded and the archive will be available for later viewing.
Leading the webinar will be John Saltmarsh, Co-Director of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) at University of Massachusetts, Boston; and Gail Robinson, Senior Advisor with the Community College National Center for Community Engagement.
Also joining us will be past successful applicants of the classification from TDC and ADP institutions: Fagan Forhan, Director of Experiential Learning Opportunities & Civic Engagement at Mount Wachusett Community College; Josh Young, Director, Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy (iCED) at Miami Dade College; Emily M. Janke, Ph.D., Special Assistant for Community Engagement in the Office of Research and Economic Development at University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
___________________________________________________________________________________ The Classification
The schedule for the application is as follows:
| 2015 Community Engagement Classification Timeline |
| January 2013 |
Announcement 2015 process |
| May 1, 2013 |
Deadline for registering |
| September 9, 2013 |
Release of applications |
| April 15, 2014 |
Applications Due/Reviewing begins |
| December 2014 |
Review Process completed/ campuses notified |
| January 2015 |
2015 classification results announced |
Please take a look at the linked articles before the webinar in February:
___________________________________________________________________________________ How to Join the Webinar
To participate in the webinar, please contact Amee Bearne, TDC National Coordinator, for call-in/log-in information. Please provide your name, title, institution, and email address.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching invites colleges and universities with an institutional focus on community engagement to apply for the elective classification, first developed and offered in 2006 as part of an extensive restructuring of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The elective Community Engagement Classification provides a way for institutions to describe their identity and commitments to community with a public and nationally recognized classification.
A total of 311 institutions have been successfully classified in the Community Engagement Classification since 2006. Campuses that received the Classification in 2006 and 2008 will undertake re-classification application and review in order to retain the Classification. Campuses classified in 2010 do not need to apply for re-classification at this time.
“The Community Engagement Classification represents a significant affirmation of the importance of community engagement in the agenda of higher education,” said Carnegie President Anthony S. Bryk. “The Foundation believes that the Classification provides campuses of every institutional type an opportunity to affirm a commitment to community engagement as an essential aspect of institutional mission and identity.”
The Foundation defines community engagement as “the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.” That definition and the documentation frameworks for the classification and re-classification are intentionally inclusive to honor the diversity of institutions and their approaches to community engagement.
Those institutions interested in the 2015 Classification, either as first-time applicants or campuses seeking re-classification, are urged to review the application process, timeline, documentation frameworks, and other information on the Carnegie website before making a decision to apply. Applications are available between May 1 and July 1, 2013, and will be due on April 15, 2014.
| 2015 Community Engagement Classification Timeline |
| January 2013 |
Announcement about the 2015 process |
| May 1, 2013 |
Deadline for registering |
| September 9, 2013 |
Release of applications |
| April 15, 2014 |
Applications Due/Reviewing begins |
| December 2014 |
Review Process completed/ campuses notified |
| January 2015 |
2015 classification results announced |
2015 Classification: Campus Classification and Re-Classification
- First Time Classification
For the 2015 classification, campuses that have not previously received the classification will need to submit an application using what is referred to as the “first-time documentation framework.” A PDF version of the Documentation Framework to be used for planning purposes only is available here. There is also a guide attached to this version to assist institutions in the documentation planning process.
- Re-Classification
For the 2015 classification, institutions that received the classification in 2006 and 2008 and are seeking to retain the classification will be able to re-apply through a reclassification process. A PDF version of the application for reclassification to be used for planning purposes only is available.
- 2010 Classified Institutions
Institutions that received the classification in 2010 will not need to do anything in 2015. 2010 classified campuses will retain the classification until 2020. To be reclassified in 2020, the 2010 campuses will need to reapply through a reclassification process announced in 2018.
Inquiries about the Community Engagement Classification should be directed to John Saltmarsh at ([email protected]) or Amy Driscoll ([email protected]).
Contact:
John Saltmarsh, Director
New England Resource Center for Higher Education
[email protected]
617 287-7743
Amy Driscoll, Consulting Scholar
Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
[email protected]
503 227-9443
The fifth annual Summer Institute of Civic Studies will be an intensive, two-week, interdisciplinary seminar bringing together advanced graduate students, faculty, and practitioners from diverse fields of study.
Organized by Peter Levine, Tisch College, and Karol Sołtan, University of Maryland, the Summer Institute features guest seminars by distinguished colleagues from various institutions and engages participants in challenging discussions such as:
- What kinds of citizens (if any) do good regimes need?
- What should such citizens know, believe, and do?
- What practices and institutional structures promote the right kinds of citizenship?
- What ought to be the relationships among empirical evidence, ethics, and strategy?
The syllabus for the fourth annual seminar (in 2012) is here. The 2013 syllabus will be modified but will largely follow this outline. You can also read more about the motivation for the Institute in the “Framing Statement”.
The daily sessions will take place from July 8-18, 2013, at the Tufts campus in Medford, MA. The seminar will be followed (from July 18 at 6 pm until July 20 at 3 pm) by a public conference-Frontiers of Democracy 2013-in downtown Boston. Participants in the institute are expected to stay for the public conference. See information on the 2012 conference.
Tuition for the Institute is free, but students are responsible for their own housing and transportation. A Tufts University dormitory room can be rented for $230-$280/week. Credit is not automatically offered, but special arrangements for graduate credit may be possible.
To apply: please email your resume, an electronic copy of your graduate transcript (if applicable), and a cover email about your interests to Peter Levine. For best consideration, apply no later than March 15, 2012. You may also sign up for occasional announcements even if you are not sure that you wish to apply: http://tinyurl.com/a9qfftb
- Peter Levine and Karol Sołtan.
With the election is over, we’re looking ahead. The Democracy Commitment with the American Democracy are already discussing how we’re going to support student political knowledge and engagement.
We’re excited to share with campuses a new project that offers colleges and universities the chance to measure student registration and voting rates and to study the effectiveness of educational programs designed to increase civic learning and engagement in democracy. TDC member campuses are invited to participate in NSLVE—the National Study on Learning, Voting, and Engagement—a new research initiative designed by our friends at the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).
Despite the fact that voting is a fundamental indicator of civic engagement, there have been no reliable ways to measure student voting rates. NSLVE fills that gap. It’s free and carefully designed to ensure student privacy. For more information and to sign up to be part of NSLVE, visit its site here. This FAQ page may also address some of your questions.
Our hope is that all TDC campuses will participate in NSLVE. Not only will it provide a baseline for measuring voter turnout in future years and comparisons among TDC campuses and with non-TDC campuses, but some campuses will be able to participate in tailored studies correlating specific academic programs, courses, and activities with student voting rates. (Note: NSLVE will compile voting rates by institution, study comparisons, and report trends and patterns in aggregate numbers. They may identify your campus as a participating institution, but will not disclose your institution’s data.)
For the original post, please see: American Democracy Project blog
Every year at the American Democracy Project/The Democracy Commitment joint national meeting, we have fantastic, inspiring, and intelligent individuals present as plenary speakers. Nonprofit leaders like Ami Dar, CEO of Idealist.org; scholars such as Byron White, Vice President for University Engagement at Cleveland State University; and civic leaders such as John Saltmarsh, Co-Director of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) are just a few of the many incredible minds that have presented plenary talks and enhanced the work of civic engagement for the last 10 years, and we are infinitely grateful for their presence.
While we’ve included students in plenary sessions before, this year we want to have an entire plenary session focused on student perspectives of civic learning and engagement.
Here’s our plan:
In preparation for our 2013 ADP/TDC national meeting in Denver, Colorado from June 6th - 8th, we are holding a nation-wide video competition to create a panel of four students to keynote our conference, two from ADP colleges and universities and two from TDC member community colleges.
Here’s how it’ll work:
Students interested in participating in the 2013 ADP/TDC Student Plenary video competition should:
- Answer the following questions:
- How can colleges and universities better prepare students to be the informed, engaged citizens our democracy needs?
- What barriers do you believe exist to your meaningful engagement in campus and community life?
- How has civic engagement, in any aspect, helped you succeed in your academic career? (Feel free to share a personal story.)
- Create a 2-3 minute video cleverly, thoughtfully, and eloquently answering the questions above in your own words, conveying your own style and personality.
- Upload that video to YouTube by Sunday, February 10, 2013.
- Send us the URL:
- For ADP student submissions, send the video link to ADP National Manager Jen Domagal-Goldman at [email protected]
- For TDC student submissions, send the video link to TDC National Coordinator Amee Bearne at [email protected]
- A panel of judges will choose their favorite videos to move to the next round. These selected videos will then be voted on by the general public.
- If you are chosen as a finalist you will receive a link on Friday, February 22nd, 2013 to share with your friends, family, or anyone! The link will direct voters to the page of finalist videos where they can watch and vote on their preferred submission.
- Find out if you were chosen to participate as one of the selected panelists on March 4, 2013.
The four chosen student panelists will each receive a free registration to the 2013 ADP/TDC National Meeting and will be highlighted with a picture and bio on our conference mobile app.
During the panel presentation at the ADP/TDC National Meeting, a moderator will introduce the student panelists and show clips of the selected videos. Panelists will be given time to speak about their civic engagement experiences at their institutions and will be asked by the moderator to respond to a set of questions that will be provided to each panelist prior to the conference. This plenary session will also have an open question and answer period.
Rules
- Videos must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright or license infringement.
- All videos submitted to the 2013 ADP/TDC Student Plenary video competition remain the intellectual property of the individuals who developed them. However, AASCU, its American Democracy Project, and The Democracy Commitment are given a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, publish, distribute and exhibit all submitted videos in any and all formats or manner for educational or promotional purposes consistent with our missions.
For the original posting by the Department of Education blog, please click here.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Education Department Wants to Hear From You!
BACKGROUND:
At a White House event this past January, the Obama Administration released its Road Map for civic learning, “Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy.” This Road Map, developed by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), is a call to action to reinvigorate civic learning and engagement for students, families, communities and leaders in education, business, labor, philanthropy and government. We envision a nationwide commitment to preparing all students for citizenship as informed, engaged and responsible members of our society. The Road Map outlines nine steps ED is undertaking to increase civic learning and engagement across our country. You are invited to watch the release event and read ED’s Road Map to learn more.
THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Since the release of the Road Map, ED has been implementing a strategy to achieve its nine objectives. As part of this process, ED is seeking the public’s input on how we understand “civic learning and engagement activities” and how we can best support these activities. We encourage educators, practitioners, students, researchers, and any other interested parties to submit opinions, ideas, suggestions and comments pertaining to the outline below:
A. How ED Defines “Civic Learning and Engagement”
Activities that help students become informed and engaged members of society by providing nonpartisan opportunities for development of civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Civic learning and engagement activities include:
- Development, through the study of American history, civics and government, of students’ foundational civic knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors.
- Participation in interactive activities (e.g., service learning, community-based projects, simulations, media campaigns, advocacy, etc.) that provide students the opportunity to apply their learning to the needs of their community through action and reflection, thus broadening understanding of how to apply knowledge to improve societal outcomes. Activities should be selected and organized with input from faculty and students and can be developed in partnership with educational institutions, faith and/or community-based organizations, government agencies, philanthropies, businesses, and other stakeholders.
B. How ED will Support Civic Learning
Of the nine objectives ED is implementing to support civic learning and engagement activities, we specifically request feedback on how to best:
- Convene and catalyze the education community to increase and enhance high-quality civic learning and engagement opportunities.
- Identify civic learning and engagement indicators to measure student outcomes and encouraging further research to learn more about appropriate and effective program design.
- Leverage federal investments and public-private partnerships to support civic learning and engagement activities where permitted and feasible.
- Highlight and promote civic learning and engagement opportunities for students, families and other stakeholders as collaborators and problem-solvers in education.
Please submit all comments to [email protected] or post them on directly on this blog.
This is a moderated site. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. We intend to post all responsive submissions on a timely basis. We reserve the right not to post comments that are unrelated to this request, are inconsistent with ED’s Web site policies, are advertisements or endorsements, or are otherwise inappropriate. To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. For more information, please be sure to read the “comments policy” tab at the top of the Web page.
The fine print: Please understand that posts must be related to Civic Learning Initiative, we encourage posts that are as specific as possible, and, as appropriate, supported by data and relevant research. Posts must be limited to 1,000 words. All opinions, ideas, suggestions and comments are considered informal input. If you include a link to additional information in your post, we urge you to ensure that the linked-to information is accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities. Additionally, please do not include links to advertisements or endorsements; we will delete all such links before your comment is posted.
Again, thank you for your interest in this opportunity to support civic learning. We look forward to hearing from you.
By Amee Bearne, National Coordinator, The Democracy Commitment
Registration is now open for The Democracy Commitment’s 3rd and the American Democracy Project’s 11th Annual National Meeting June 6-8, 2013, in Denver, Colorado. You’ll find important information below about dates and registration fees, how to reserve a room at the Marriott City Center, and how to submit a proposal.
Each year, the American Democracy Project (ADP)/The Democracy Commitment (TDC) Joint National Meeting brings together a community of individuals committed to civic renewal, while also envisioning together new signature pedagogies and practices to strengthen our democracy. In a time of bitter partisanship and deep concerns about the future of our country, our work today is more important now than ever!
Registration Open for Annual Meeting
June 6-8, 2013 | Marriott City Center | Denver, Colorado
“21st Century Citizens: Building Bridges, Solving Problems”
The annual meeting begins on Thursday, June 6 with day-long pre-conference workshops and an opening plenary at 3:30 p.m. The meeting culminates with a closing speaker followed by a closing reception with dinner from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 8.
Registration Fees:
The registration fee includes all program sessions and materials; wine and cheese reception on Thursday; breakfast on Friday; and lunch and closing reception on Saturday.
- Individual Fee: $545
Register as an individual if only one person from your ADP/TDC campus is attending.
- Team Member Registration Fee: $485
If more than one person from your ADP/TDC campus is attending the meeting, you may use the Team Member Registration Fee.
- Student Registration Fee: $395
Registration rate for full-time undergraduate and graduate students at AASCU/ADP/TDC colleges and universities.
- Non-Member Registration Fee: $625
Register as a non-member if you or your organization are not AASCU/ADP/TDC campus members.
How to Register:
Please select among the three options below:
Call for Proposals (CFP)
Read the CFP (download pdf)
Submit a proposal online
(Please Note: You will not be able to save your proposal, please copy and paste your responses into a Word document for your own records.)
Accommodations
Denver Marriott City Center
1701 California Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone: 303-297-1300
Toll-free: 800-228-9290
Fax: 303-293-3736
Hotel accommodations for the 2013 ADP/TDC National Meeting can be booked directly with the hotel by calling 506-474-2009 or toll-free 877-303-0104 and referring to the group rate for the ADP/TDC Annual Meeting (please use the acronyms for the group name).
You may also reserve your room online here
Room Rate
The special conference rate is $169 (single/double/triple/quad) plus 14.85% tax (current tax rate may change). To obtain this rate, you must call the hotel by May 14, 2013.
- Check-in at the hotel is at 4 p.m., and check-out is at Noon.
- High-speed internet is available in your guest room at $12.95 a day. There is free wireless internet in hotel’s public areas.
- Valet parking fee: $29/day.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Cancellation Fee: $150
If you must cancel your registration, you will receive a full refund if the cancellation is before 5 p.m. EST on Friday, May 31. There will be a $150 cancellation fee after that date. Special circumstances will be handled on an individual basis. Guest meals should be cancelled by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, May 31 for a full refund; no refund is available after that date.
By Amee Bearne, TDC National Coordinator, and Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager
The Democracy Commitment and American Democracy Project Joint National Meeting:
“21st Century Citizens: Building Bridges, Solving Problems”
Thursday, June 6, 2013 to Saturday, June 8, 2013
Marriott City Center • Denver, Colorado
Please join us in Denver, Colorado for The Democracy Commitment’s (TDC) 3rd and the American Democracy Project’s (ADP) 11th annual national meeting annual national meeting at the Marriott City Center.
The meeting begins on Thursday, June 6 with a series of pre-conference workshops, a late afternoon opening plenary, and a wine and cheese reception; it concludes with a dinner Saturday evening, June 8.
Announcing the Call for Proposals:
The deadline for presentation proposal submissions is Friday, February 1, 2013. All proposals will be reviewed and notification will be sent out no later than Monday, March 4, 2013.
The description of the meeting’s theme can be found below and is available here. Please note that we have added new session types and formats to this year’s conference — they are listed below and you can read about them here.
If you are interested in making a presentation at the TDC/ADP 2013 National Meeting, please complete and submit this online proposal form: http://www.aascu.org/meetings/adptdc13/CFP/
(You can download a Word document version of this Call for Proposal form here. (Please note: you should make a copy of your proposal. The webform will not generate one for you. You are encouraged to write your proposal in a Word document first and to copy and paste the questions and your responses before you hit submit!)
Meeting Theme:
The theme for this year’s meeting, 21st Century Citizens: Building Bridges, Solving Problems, calls our attention to the educational experiences and civic skills needed by today’s college graduates. Citizenship is more than a legal status; all students must be prepared to be active contributors in their communities. However, our institutions are increasingly called on to train students for employment, an emphasis which often seems to undermine the historic liberal education mission of U.S. public higher education. As our society grows increasingly complex, students need more than ever the preparation required to become informed, engaged citizens. In order to prepare students to engage in our communities, students must be equipped with 21st century skills: working with others, critical thinking, communication, creativity and problem-solving, to name a few. Such skills are as valuable in the workforce as they are in our communities and are essential if we are to bridge existing gaps between learning and doing, intention and action. In fact, research and employer surveys indicate that citizenship skills are an important component of 21st century career skills (Battistoni and Longo, 2005; Kolb, 2011; Hart Research Associates, 2010). Employers seek graduates who can work collaboratively with people who are different from them; they want graduates ready to tackle complex problems in multi-disciplinary teams. The first step in problem solving and working with others is building bridges to understanding different perspectives; skills required not only in the workforce but needed even more in our fractured democracy.
The meeting theme poses the following set of questions:
- What educational experiences across and practices are best suited to help students develop 21st century skills?
- In what ways can the American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment work together to better prepare students in connecting their studies with the concrete problems facing our communities?
- How can we educate for both employment and civic engagement, leveraging the congruence between career and civic skills?
- How do we prepare students to be globally competent citizens in our increasingly complex, interdependent world?
- What knowledge, skills, attitudes and experiences do students need to be the informed, engaged citizens our democracy needs?
During our meeting in Denver, we will explore innovative ways in which to advance our civic work.
The 2013 meeting will be an outstanding program with more than 500 attendees, including provosts, other administrators, faculty members, students and community partners. The conference structure includes four plenary sessions, a set of featured speaker presentations, a poster session, a series of concurrent sessions, workshops, and lightning rounds, panels and roundtables with multiple presenters.
References:
Battistoni, R. M., and Longo, N. V. (2005). Connecting workforce development and civic engagement: Higher education and public good and private gain. Danvers, MA: Public Policy Institute, North Shore Community College.
Kolb, C. (2011). Reforming American higher education: Implications for a vibrant work force and a healthy democracy. Change, 43(5), 14-16.
Hart Research Associates. (2010). Raising the bar: Employers’ views on college learning in the wake of the economic downturn. Washington, DC: AAC&U.
2013 Presentation Formats:
As our national meeting continues to grow in size and scope, we are adding new concurrent and featured session types to the 2013 program in order to make the national meeting more dynamic. By adding various types of session formats, we hope to encourage broader participation in the meeting, by offering more diverse session formats designed to help participants share promising pedagogies and practices of civic learning and democratic engagement as well as opportunities for colleagues to exchange ideas and network.
This year, by sending in a program proposal, you acknowledge that your presentation may fit into one of the session types listed below. Please feel free to indicate a preference of session format (listed below) in your proposal and even structure your proposal to reflect particular sessions (e.g., indicating round table questions or workshop activities). However, because some formats may more popular than others there is a possibility that the program planners will have to modify the initial session preference to fit within the available time slots.
SESSION FORMATS
Poster Presentation: Presentations given during a communal gathering of conference participants during which participants can walk around and learn from presenters.
Time allotment: 1 ½ hours during provided lunch
Lightning Round: Short, yet dynamic presentations given by 4-6 presenters at 7 minutes per proposal to flesh out the main purpose and points of a new program, initiative, service-learning course, etc. At the end of 25-35 minutes the rest of the time will be given to audience Q&A. Because there won’t be large numbers of other concurrent sessions at the time of the lightning round—instead there will be a few rooms with themes—presenters will be able to reach greater numbers of people. In this format the presenter will be asked to provide a handout for participants to learn more or to be able to follow-up with additional questions. The lightning round will be moderated and followed by an extended break during which further discussion can occur. Participants will be encouraged to Tweet questions.
Time allotment: 7 minutes per presentation; 1 ¼ hours per round
Concurrent Presentation: Our old standby: Two or three similar proposals will be grouped together to create one session. We will be experimenting with adding a 10 minute break in between individual presentations to let audience members move from one session to another if they are seeking specific types of sessions (e.g., those focused on community colleges or specific topics.)
Time allotment: 1 ½ hours
Round Table Discussion: Space to discuss “big questions” or plan new initiatives. Tables will be assigned to presenters whose proposals require dialogue and feedback from colleagues. Individuals choose to sit at particular tables based on their interests and have discussions moderated by the presenter.
Time allotment: 1 hour
Workshop: A “hands-on” session in which the presenters brings their projects to life in the room; they can demonstrate a particular learning activity within varying disciplines from STEM to health to the humanities, have a formal debate in the style of one held on campus in the past year, or bring poetry or rehearsed theatrical performances to demonstrate how students are understanding civic issues through art. Proposals for workshops must clearly indicate how this session will be a workshop – e.g. how it will be hands-on; what activities participants will be engaged in.
Time allotment: Varies, though will be longer sessions
Panel: Students and/or faculty from one school, project, or program will sit on a panel and discuss their experiences. When choosing number of panelists please allow time for at least 15 minutes of Q & A.
Time allotment: 1 hour
SESSION TOPICS
We will also have particular strands by which we hope to categorize most proposals so those who attend the conference for the purpose of learning about one or two topics will have a greater understanding of which sessions are best to attend. Those potential categories are:
- 21st century citizenship skills
- ADP/TDC partnerships
- Assessment of civic learning
- Community partnerships, engagement & organizing
- Diversity and social justice
- Global citizenship
- Infusing civic learning into curriculum (e.g., STEM, arts & humanities, social sciences, professional fields)
- Increasing civic participation of disengaged student populations
- Institutionalization of civic learning and engagement
- Political engagement
- Programs, projects, and events on campus
- Research & theory
- Service-learning
- Student activism & organizing
Please note: Meeting registration will be opening soon! Registration rates will be the same as last year’s.
On Friday, October 12th, community college students from all over Michigan gathered at Henry Ford Community College, a TDC member institution, to participate in the 9th annual Michigan Student Convention 2012, sponsored by HFCC and the League of Women Voters.
The day started at 8:30am with some students being assigned to caucus rooms to lead post-workshop discussion and caucus voting. Once assignments were in place the convention commenced with an opening session that highlighted educational, local, state, and national leaders for Michigan. They spoke of the importance of civic engagement, understanding the political process, and being participatory citizens. The opening session was then followed by a Women’s Panel, featuring prominent female leaders in the state. The panel spoke to the following issues of the day:
- The importance in encouraging more women to participate in democratic politics and political engagement.
- The unique barriers that women must overcome to serve in public office.
- How have they overcome these and other hurdles to public service.
- What is their recommendation for youth involvement in public office.
While the speakers were inspiring, the most interesting part of the morning was the workshop time slot. Students gathered in classrooms all around the campus to listen to speakers from all walks of life, (whether they be leaders, scholars, experts, students, or even those with a vested interest) and learn about today’s salient issues. The full list of workshops can be found on the right hand side of the document here.
After the speakers ended the students would gather back in their assigned caucus rooms and declare what issues they think are important and should be voted on in the general assembly.
The following were the voting rules for each room: (click for download of voting rules)
Each Voting Caucus group will tally the students’ votes for presentation at the Final Plenary Session.
- For an issue to be considered for a vote in the caucus each issue that can be voted on in the caucus must receive a nomination by one student, and a minimum of two students must second the nomination.
- Each student is allowed to nominate only one (1) issue, but has no limit on the number of issues they can second.
- Issues receiving a nomination, but not receiving the required seconds can only be considered one time for inclusion in the caucus vote.
- Once an issue has been nominated and seconded two times, then the caucus coordinator will write the issue on the chalk board. [This will indicate the issues eligibility for being voted on.]
- Caucus coordinator shall announce three (3) times that the nominations are closing before accepting no more nominations and proceeding with the voting.
- Each student can cast up to 3 votes. The votes can be cast towards a single issue or can be distributed for up to 3 issues.
- Based on the number of votes each issue receives in the caucus, the top seven issues will be placed on the final Michigan Student Political Issues agenda.
- If fewer than seven issues are reported out of the caucus, then those issues will be the only issues considered during the vote of the final agenda.
- All issues receiving votes, but not making it upon the final agenda, will be listed in an addendum indicating their support.
- After the report of the caucus sessions, a vote will occur during the final session on the final agenda.
A motion must be made by a caucus (made by caucus coordinator) and seconded by another caucus to begin the final vote or for any other modification to the final list of issues (combining or eliminating issues can occur in the final session; however, additions will not be accepted).
After lunch the students gathered in the general assembly room to lay out all the issues that received the minimum amount of votes in the separate caucus rooms. As a collective body they all voted on all the issues presented and came out with the top five: healthcare, unemployment, gay marriage, the economy, and education. The students were allowed to debate both sides of the issues before voting happened to have their voices and ideas heard by all convention participants.
The convention concluded with the Elected Officials Panel made up of local and state legislatures and representatives. After the various comments about the process of the day by the panelists, students were allowed to stand and ask
pointed questions about personal platforms, beliefs, and stances touching mostly on the five most important issues along with those most pertinent at the local and state levels.
By the end of the day nearly 500 students learned about significant political and policy issues, discussed and debated those issues in a civil manner, and then had their voices heard by elected officials. It was a fantastic experience; it was an honor to take part. Thank you, Henry Ford Community College!
Click here for a quick report about the participation at this convention.
Do you think your school could host a student convention for your region or state?
For additional narrative about the day please visit: http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2012/10/21/news/doc5081add168268530087190.txt
For more information on how to plan a student convention, please contact Anthony Perry of Henry Ford Community College.
Call for Proposals - Due November 9th, 2012
(Download this information as PDF here.)
6th International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE)
Bridging Cultures: Education for Global Citizenship and Civic Engagement
Conference Details Available at: http://creducation.org/cre/goto/6th
June 12 – 17, 2013
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Call for proposals in pdf format available at this link: http://www.creducation.org/resources/Call_for_proposals_6th_Intl_Conf_CRE.pdf
Call for proposals available as a word document at this link: http://www.creducation.org/resources/Call_for_proposals_6th_Intl_Conf_CRE.doc
Audience: Those interested in Civic Engagement, Conflict Resolution Education (CRE)/Social and Emotional Learning(SEL)/peace education (PE), global education, citizenship education, democracy education, and the role and impact of migrating populations/communities, including policy makers, practitioners, researchers, educators, college and university faculty, staff, and students, K-12 educators, public health officials, gender based violence prevention practitioners, local, national, and international policy makers, and individuals who work with youth serving organizations.
June 12th-13th Pre-Conference Trainings
June 14th-15th Main Conference – Keynotes and Workshops
June 16th-17th Community Colleges Intensive Working Group
Meeting: Curriculum Development and Action
Planning
Keynote Speakers (June 14-15, 2013):
| Speaker |
Theme/Topic |
| Organization of American States……….. |
Education for Democracy |
| Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting……. |
Promoting Global Awareness through International Journalism and Education |
| Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict |
Inter-cultural Conflict Resolution, Political Processes and Impacts on Minority Groups Including Migrants and Immigrants |
| United States Institute of Peace………… |
Integrating Conflict Resolution Themes into the Curriculum, Including Culture and Conflict, Civic Engagement, and Democracy |
Pre-Conference Trainings (June 12-13, 2013, 9:00a.m.-5p.m.):
| Kent State UniversityCenter for Applied Conflict Management |
Integrating Core Theories of Conflict Resolution Across Disciplines |
| Sustained Dialogue CampusNetwork |
Developing a Sustained Dialogue Campus Student Network |
| American Red Cross |
Integrating Humanitarian Law Concepts Into the Humanities |
| Ohio Campus Compact |
Integrating Service Learning and Opportunities for Civic Engagement Into Courses |
| International Center on Nonviolent Conflict |
People Power and Pedagogy: Methods for Teaching about Nonviolent Struggle |
Global Issues Resource Center and Library at Cuyahoga Community College is partnering with colleges and universities, local, national, and international non-governmental and governmental organizations to host the 6th International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE), Bridging Cultures: Education for Global Citizenship and Civic Engagement in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Earlier conferences and working group meetings brought together government representatives from among the 50 states, around the globe, and their non-governmental organization partners who have legislation or policies in place to deliver CRE/SEL/PE and Civics Education at the K-12 level and in universities. Conference and meeting publications are available at: http://www.creducation.org/cre/global_cre
The 6th International Conference on CRE is an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and research. Presentations will focus on innovations in the fields that are making broad impacts in local, state, national, and international communities. Participants will exchange best practices, evaluation methodology, creation of policy implementation structures, consideration of obstacles to success, and new and innovative use of training, resources and technology. Conference participants will be drawn from the local, state, national, and international community. College students and faculty are encouraged to attend and present their findings. On-site events include a meeting of Colleges and Universities developing peace and conflict studies programs, June 13th, 6:30PM – 9:30PM and a capacity building seminar for U.S. Community Colleges developing peace and conflict studies programs on June 16th - 17th, 2013.
Credits offered: Graduate, Social Work (pending), Counselor (pending), and CEUs
Planning Committee:
-
The American Red Cross
-
The Association for Conflict Resolution, Education Section
-
Austin Community College
-
Case Western Reserve University, Mandel School of Applied Social Science
-
Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Winning Against Violent Environment Program (WAVE)
-
Cleveland State University, College of Education and Human Services
-
Cuyahoga Community College, Peace Club
-
Eastern Mennonite University, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding
-
The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)
-
The Democracy Commitment
-
International Institute for Sustained Dialogue
-
International School Psychology Association
-
Kennesaw State University, Master of Science in Conflict Management Program
-
University of Maryland, Center for Dispute Resolution
-
National Peace Academy
-
Organization of American States, Department of Education and Culture
-
Ohio Campus Compact
-
Ohio Domestic Violence Network
-
Ohio State University, Center for Slavic and East European Studies
-
Sustained Dialogue Campus Network
-
The University of Akron, College of Education
Questions? Contact Global Issues Resource Center at + 1 - 216-987-2224 (USA) or e-mail at: [email protected]