Cultivating a Civic Identity using a Feminist Cohort Model: An Analysis of Tulane’s Newcomb Scholars Program

Abstract

Analysis of the Newcomb Scholars program at Tulane University offers a case study in the development of civic identity through participation in a four-year curricular program with community engagement and service-learning grounded in feminist pedagogies and theories. Each year, twenty intellectually curious and ambitious undergraduates are selected to participate in an academically rigorous interdisciplinary learning experience centering feminist leadership. Using data from a recently completed 10-year evaluation of the Newcomb Scholars program, this article considers how these students’ civic identity is forged because of curricular and co-curricular experiences and persists in post-graduation settings. Evaluation data includes longitudinal survey responses, participant grade data, and demographic information of program participants. Our analysis examines how the components of the Scholars program adhere to the five building blocks for developing a healthy civic identity and shares results from the program’s 10-year assessment (Schnaubelt, et al 2022). Special focus is placed on participants' commitment to feminism as a political issue, a defining element of a healthy civic identity. Significantly, the study found nearly 77% of respondents to the alumnae survey agreeing that they are currently engaged in some level of feminist work and 95% of respondents identifying as a feminist. The cohort structure is also a focus. It keeps the Newcomb Scholars together for curricular and co-curricular experiences across four years, allowing them to practice the building blocks of a healthy civic identity in the context of an enduring community. Further, we discuss the challenges the program has experienced due to institutional and organizational constraints. Finally, we offer thoughts on how to address these concerns within a context of national democratic threat and decreased trust in higher education.