Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices

Abstract

As the new millennium dawned, it became clear that American higher education had done some serious soul-searching in light of concerns that it was losing distinctiveness in pursuit of prestige. Moreover, many institutions began returning to their roots in response to exhortations to take a new leadership role in preparing students for active, responsible citizenship. Ernest Boyer struck a responsive chord when he proposed the scholarship of engagement as a means whereby the academy would employ its considerable resources to tackle the social, civic, and ethical problems that beset our communities (Boyer, 1996). In 1999, higher education leaders across the country articulated their commitment to the civic purposes of their institutions as vital agents and architects of a flourishing democracy (Campus Compact, 2000). The present decade has witnessed a widespread renewal of higher education’s historical commitment to public engagement and the growth of service-learning as a pedagogical approach to developing civic knowledge and skills. However, much work remains to be done. Social problems persist, locally and globally; today’s youth view political involvement with skepticism; civic learning is lacking, or lagging. That is the basis of Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices.