ADP12: Pre-Conference Workshops and Meetings on Thurs. June 7

Have you checked out the pre-conference offerings at the American Democracy Project National Meeting, June 7-9, 2012 in San Antonio? We have an ADP Orientation Session for new folks and open pre-conference workshops for our Global Engagement (formerly 7 Revolutions) and eCitizenship initiatives. You can also learn more about AASCU’s Urban Civic Minor work, attend a meeting of the Political Engagement Project, or learn more about ADP’s work with the American Commonwealth Partnership.

See you in San Antonio!

— Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager

Thursday, June 7

9 a.m. – Noon
Urban Civic Minor Working Meeting (by invitation)

9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Campus Civic Health Summit and Working Lunch (by invitation, rsvp required)
The Campus Civic Health Initiative, a newly created effort to measure and improve campus and community civic health, will serve as a signature program of the 10th anniversary of the American Democracy Project (ADP). The initiative, part of ADP’s Civic Engagement in Action Series, will engage participating institutions in assessing the civic health of their campuses and communities and developing action plans to improve civic health. The Campus Civic Health Initiative is informed by the critical work of the National Conference on Citizenship – our convening partner organization – on America’s civic health, by national thought leaders, and by research centers and projects on civic issues. This Campus Civic Health Summit will provide participating institutions the opportunity to learn about a number of models for measuring and advancing civic health, as well as provide the opportunity to develop their own action plans in consultation with convening partners.
Presenters: Saundra Curry Ardrey, Co-Director of Institute of Citizenship and Social Responsibility, Western Kentucky University; Eric Bain-Selbo, Co-director Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility, Western Kentucky University ; Kristen Cambell, Chief Program Officer, National Conference on Citizenship (Washington, D.C.); Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager, AASCU; Abby Kiesa, CIRCLE; Kristi Tate, Director of Community Strategies, National Conference on Citizenship (Washington, D.C.); Byron P. White, Vice President for University Engagement, Cleveland State University (Ohio)

9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
eCitizenship Pre-Conference Workshop: An Interactive Introduction to Campus Programs, Tools, Assessment and Results (open to all)
In this pre-conference workshop participants engage in an ongoing Athena Bridge discussion of the meaning and importance of eCitizenship on college campuses. Participants also have an update about the eCitizenship initiative at Southern Polytechnic University: what is working, what did not work and what our future plans will be; included are recommendations for methods, no-cost tools and actions for possible adoption on participants’ campuses. Finally, participants are introduced to an assessment tool that was developed and utilized at Missouri State University to examine the relationship between the use of online social networking tools and offline civic engagement for students on their campus, with a special emphasis on how the results of the assessment can be used to improve ongoing eCitizenship efforts.
Presenters: Mike Stout, Associate Professor of Sociology, Missouri State University; Renee Bricker, Assistant Professor, Department of History and Philosophy, North Georgia College & State University; Marc Kruman, Director, Center for the Study of Citizenship, Wayne State University (Mich.); Rich Halstead-Nussloch, Professor of Information Technology, Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.)

9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Pre-Conference Workshop and Working Lunch
Addressing Global Challenges: Teaching from a 7 Revolutions Framework
($50 registration fee, registration required)
This day-long institute introduces participants to numerous tools for educating globally competent citizens. Global Engagement Scholars (faculty members) from 10 AASCU campuses describe how they have built courses and curricula around the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Seven Revolutions Framework (population, resources, technology, information, economic integration, conflict and governance). Institute leaders demonstrate the teaching materials and resources they have found most valuable in the courses they teach (including introductory, first-year, major and honors courses) and guide participants in anticipating how these same tools could be used effectively on their home campuses.

Participants also have the opportunity to learn more about how to bring the new national Global Challenges blended learning course to their campuses. The blended learning model course, designed by the AASCU Scholars, includes a variety of teaching methods to deliver and facilitate classroom materials and activities. The course is delivered through the Epsilen eLearning Environment, a web-based application that allows students to access course materials, The New York Times Digital Content Repository and much more. Costs for the 2012-13 academic year are $50/student for AASCU institutions.

Presenters: Steven Elliott-Gower, Director, Honors and Scholars Program, Georgia College; Dennis Falk, Professor, Department of Social Work, University of Minnesota Duluth; Keisha L. Hoerrner, Associate Dean, University College, Kennesaw State University (Ga.); Shala Mills, Global Challenges National Course Coordinator, Fort Hays State University (Kan.); William Payne, Interim Dean, School of Fine Arts, University of Minnesota Duluth; Nathan Phelps, Faculty, Honors College, Western Kentucky University; William J. Reckmeyer, Professor of Leadership & Systems, San Jose State University (Calif.); Martin S. Shapiro, Associate Professor of Psychology and 7 Revolutions Scholar, California State University Fresno; Brett Whitaker, Instructor, Leadership Studies, Fort Hays State University (Kan.); Yohannes Woldemariam, Assistant Professor, International Relations and Environmental Studies, Fort Lewis College (Colo.); and Stephen Wright, Professor, Politics and International Affairs, Northern Arizona University

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
American Commonwealth Project Working Meeting (by invitation)

10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Democracy Commitment Pre-Conference Workshop and Working Lunch (by invitation, rsvp required)

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Lunch on your Own

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Pre-Conference Workshop: American Commonwealth Project Open Forum (open to all)
The American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment are two key partners in the new American Commonwealth Partnership (ACP). ACP is an alliance of colleges and universities, higher education groups, P-12 schools and others dedicated to the democracy college ideal for all higher education. Launched at the White House on January 10th, ACP grows out of the Civic Agency Initiative in the American Democracy Project and its ‘We the People” conference in Washington, DC in November, 2010, which laid initial plans for a movement in higher education to deepen civic identities of colleges and universities, spreading empowering pedagogies and community-connecting practices, in partnership with policy makers.

At this pre-conference forum, participants have a chance to hear about several key ACP initiatives including the deliberative dialogues on higher education’s role in America’s future; “Citizen Alum,” strategies for broadening the role of alumni from “donors” to “doers”; and Empowering Pedagogies, approaches which bring civic agency into curricular and co-curricular innovation. We will also discuss ADP’s new Campus Civic Health Initiative, on ways to measure and improve civic health.

Forum Moderator: Harry Boyte, Director, Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Augsburg College (Minn.)

Key Initiatives:

• Citizen Alum:  Strategies for Campus Teams          
  Presenters: Julie Ellison, Lead Organizer, Citizen Alum and Professor of American Culture and English, University of Michigan; Thomas Morgan, Executive Director, Center for Faith and Learning, Augsburg College (Minn.); and Kara Lindaman, Associate Professor and ADP Director, Winona State University (Minn.)
• Deliberative Dialogues on Shaping Our Future
  Presenters: Kara Lindaman, Associate Professor and ADP Director, Winona State University (Minn.)
• Empowering Pedagogies 
  Presenters: Blase Scarnati, Director, First Year Seminar Program and Global Learning, Northern Arizona University

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Political Engagement Project Meeting (open to all)
An informal gathering of current PEP participants and those interested in participating in the Political Engagement Project.
Facilitator: Steve Hunt, Professor, School of Communication, Illinois State University and Political Engagement Project faculty chair

 

1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Civic Minor in Urban Education Pre-Conference Workshop: The Nuts and Bolts of Designing and Implementing a Civic Minor in Urban Education (open to all)
Five AASCU urban campuses were selected in fall 2010 to design and implement new Civic Minors in Urban Education within three years. Each Civic Minor must be developed as a partnership between Education and Arts & Sciences faculty and be available to all university students. Each campus designated a design team headed by two Design Team leaders – one from Arts and Sciences, the other from Education – to create its own version of the Civic Minor, with both unique and common core elements. The unique elements will reflect the circumstances and needs of each particular urban community, its P-12 school district, and the university. Each Civic Minor in Urban Education will offer pre-service teachers, and their peers who might not otherwise consider a career in education, an opportunity to take other courses that develop a rich understanding of the public policy context of urban schools and community factors that affect school performance, community connection to schools, and learning outcomes for students, especially civic outcomes. AASCU’s Director of Teacher Education, Jolanda Westerhof, and Design Team leaders from the five project campuses will share design specifics and implementation strategies in this hands-on workshop for faculty, service-learning/community engagement directors, deans and provosts interested in creating and implementing their own version of a Civic Minor in Urban Education.

The AASCU Civic Minor in Urban Education project is funded through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Facilitator: Jolanda Westerhof, Director of Teacher Education, AASCU

Campus Design Team Leaders:

Buffalo State College (N.Y.)
Kathy Wood, Interim Associate Dean, School of Education
Amitra Wall, Associate Professor, Sociology

California State University-Fresno
Steven Hart, Assistant Professor, Literacy and Early Education
James Mullooly, Associate Professor, Anthropology

University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Susan Harden, UNC Charlotte Crossroads Coordinator, Adjunct Professor College of Education
Janni Sorensen, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Vicki McGinley, Professor, Department of Special Education
Hannah Ashley, Associate Professor of English

Wright State University (Ohio)
Anna Lyon, Associate Professor of Teacher Education
Marjorie McLellan, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Affairs and Geography and Department of History

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
The Democracy Commitment (TDC): Welcome Session and Orientation (open to all)
All participants from TDC member colleges and those interested in learning more about TDC are invited to this session. This session focuses on getting to know each other and coordinating our participation in the conference.
Facilitator: Edmundo Norte, Dean, Intercultural and International Studies, De Anza College (CA)

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
ADP Orientation (open to all)
Is your campus new to the American Democracy Project? Is this your first ADP meeting? This session introduces you to the American Democracy Project and gives you a chance to meet and talk with George Mehaffy, ADP’s founder and Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP’s national manager. Come learn what ADP is all about!
Facilitators: George Mehaffy, Vice President for Leadership and Change and Jen Domagal-Goldman, American Democracy Project National Manager, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

To view more of the draft conference program, go here.