#CLDE15 in Review

662 people, representing 205 colleges and universities as well as 41 other organizations, participated in #CLDE15.

Save the Date: #ADPTDC15 National Meeting | June 4-6 in New Orleans

Mark your calendars! We’re looking forward to seeing everyone for the 2015 American Democracy Project/The Democracy Commitment National Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana from June 4-6, 2016! 

Please note: The meeting schedule will be a bit different this year — we’ll start sessions bright and early on the morning of Thursday, June 4th and will finish by 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6th. Make plans accordingly! Everyone will want to schedule their flights to arrive by the evening of Wednesday, June 3rd in order to attend the full program.

We’ll be ending the program with a closing plenary session featuring Danielle Allen speaking about her book Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality (2014) -you won’t want to miss it! So schedule your flights to leave after 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6th. However, the room rate will be available through Saturday evening.

Also, stay tuned for the call for proposals in early October — proposals will be due by the end of the calendar year in December. 

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2015 ADP/TDC Meeting Theme

Each year we choose a meeting theme around which a variety of speakers and sessions are dedicated. Please note, however, that while we seek proposals that address the meeting theme, we also welcome all proposals related to broader civic learning and democratic engagement topics.

The 2015 meeting theme is “Stewardship of Place: A Civic Mission of Higher Education.”

Public higher education has a number of distinct yet overlapping civic missions, including: creating informed, engaged citizens; engaging in research on topics such as civic learning and development; serving as spaces for democratic dialogue and deliberation; and identifying and addressing community needs in partnership with other community members and organizations (The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and CIRCLE, 2006).

Each of these civic missions involves the “place” where our institutions operate, and our meeting theme this year focuses on this: What role does place play in public higher education? How are our institutions involved in the multi-layered communities in which they are situated? How are our colleges and communities dependent on each other? What does it mean to act as stewards of these places, in teaching, research and service? How do we teach students to serve as stewards of their current and future communities?

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)—ADP’s parent organization and host of TDC’s national office—defines its member institutions as Stewards of Place, framing the work of these institutions as inexorably linked to the well-being of the communities, regions and states in which these colleges and universities are situated (AASCU, 2002). In a recent publication, AASCU asked its member institutions to consider their work as stewards of their communities in four distinct yet overlapping areas—economic and community development, k-12 education, internationalization, and—most relevant to our ADP and TDC work—civic learning and engagement (AASCU, 2014 – available soon!). Likewise, TDC’s member institutions, for which community is not just part of their title but their legacy, share a similar commitment to stewardship.

As we come together in June 2015 in New Orleans, we cannot think of a better location in which to explore this definition and focus on our work collectively and in alignment with this civic mission. Both the American Democracy Project (ADP) and The Democracy Commitment (TDC) share a deep commitment to ensuring that our institutions and our students are thoughtfully and meaningfully engaged in our often overlapping communities. As we join the people of New Orleans in commemorating the 10^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the 50^th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the 50^th anniversary of the Higher Education Act, we will explore our individual and institutional responsibilities and contributions to our democracy both in New Orleans and in the communities in which our institutions reside.

Potential topics based on the meeting theme might include:

• Role of place in public higher education
• Campus/community partnerships
• Examples of mission-driven community-based work
• Community-based learning and research
• Economic and community development efforts
• Ways of mapping and measuring community impact
• Shared institution/community events and spaces

Join us in New Orleans as we consider the meaning of place in public higher education and our role(s) as stewards of the spaces and places with which our campuses are so deeply entwined.

We look forward to seeing you there!

#LovinLouisville #1 | #Online: Democracy Gone Digital Plenary Session

By Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager

Heading to Louisville for #ADPTDC14? Over the next two weeks leading up to our June 5-7 ADP/TDC Joint National Meeting in this City of Compassion, we’ll be highlighting reasons that we’re #LovinLouisville.

Reason #1? Our Friday morning plenary session!

Get ready for an exciting morning plenary session featuring a conversation with two dynamic, digitally engaged divas. ADP’s Mike Stout, Associate Professor of Sociology at Missouri State University, will moderate a discussion about #eCitizenship and digital civic engagement and activism and TDC’s Monica Bustinza from Miami Dade College (Fla.) will serve as a student respondent and provocateur.

Here are the session details:

• Friday, June 6, 2014 from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m., Ballroom X and VI
  Plenary – #Online:  Democracy Gone Digital
  We carry the Internet in our pockets, and it has changed the way we work, shop, play and interact with each other. It’s also changing the way we teach and learn as well as how we organize and mobilize for or against the causes we care about. But are the connections and communities we build online authentic? Can anything worth saying be said in 140 characters? Does online activism actually start revolutions? What does it mean to be an eCitizen? What are our responsibilities in these new public spaces? And how can we harness the power of emergent technologies to advance civic learning and engagement efforts on our campuses? Join us for a moderated conversation about a world online and how we share within and shape it.
  Moderator:  Mike Stout, Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology, Missouri State University
  Presenters:
  Lauren Bird, Spokesperson & Digital Content Strategist,Harry Potter Alliance
  Suey Park, Writer, Comedian and Activist
  Student Respondent:  Monica Bustinza, Student, Miami Dade College (Fla.)

Meet Lauren & Suey:

Lauren Bird | Spokesperson & Digital Content Strategist | Harry Potter Alliance

Lauren began her involvement with the HPA as a volunteer in 2010 and has since taken on the professional role of Spokesperson and Digital Content Strategist. She received her Bachelor’s in Comparative Literature, with a concentration in Documentary Filmmaking, from New York University and has spoken on numerous panels including Futures of Entertainment at MIT, TEDx Women, and San Diego Comic-Con. Lauren produces the HPA’s online videos, which have been featured on sites such as Upworthy, Mashable, and the Huffington Post. She also writes horoscopes for the W.A.N.D. Beyond her wizard activist duties, Lauren can be found on YouTube answering the age-old question, “Will It Waffle?” She can be found online @laurenthebird.


Suey Park | Writer and Activist

Suey Park is a 23-year old writer and activist based in Chicago. Park is well-known for her social media activism and her trending hashtags such as #NotYourAsianSidekick, #BlackPowerYellowPeril and the recent controversial #CancelColbert, all of which have resulted in media furor. Park is one of the most outspoken and dynamic young Asian American women in the public view with incisive views on race and gender and social organization.  She spoke at ADP campus Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in April about “Hashtags: A New Form of Social Activism.” Follow her on Twitter at @suey_park!

Proposals Due 2/16 for 2014 ADP National Meeting in Louisville

2014 ADP/TDC National Meeting Call for Proposals (CFP)

The deadline for presentation proposal submissions is Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 11:59 PM Eastern. All proposals will be reviewed and notification of proposal status will be sent out no later than Monday, March 10, 2014.

You’ll find more information here about our CFP.

If you are interested in making a presentation at the ADP/TDC 2014 National Meeting, please complete and submit this online proposal form at proposalspace.com/calls/d/312

IMPORTANT NOTES

With the online submission form you can:

• save partially completed proposals to finish later,
• print your proposal and access it once completed.

Through the online submission form you must:

• have the primary presenter submit the proposal, and
• create a username and password in the ProposalSpace system for each presenter included in the proposal. (All presenters’ information must be entered before submitting a proposal. They cannot be added after the proposal is submitted.)

Individuals may submit no more than two proposals as a primary presenter. Given time and space limitations, presenters should not expect to present more than once during the course of a conference, though there may be some exceptions. Once a proposal is submitted no changes may be made in ProposalSpace. If your proposal is accepted you will be offered a chance to make changes before the final program is complete.

Reminder: Early-bird registration rates for the ADP/TDC National Meeting expire on April 30! Register now!

21st Century Citizens: Highlights from #ADPTDC13

By Jen Domagal-Goldman, National Manager, American Democracy Project

Illinois State students recreate new logo.

Five hundred and eighty-five faculty members, students, administrators and representatives from our national partner organizations gathered in Denver, Colorado for the third ADP/TDC Joint National Meeting (and ADP’s 11^th annual meeting), June 6-8, 2013. The theme of the meeting was “21st Century Citizens: Building Bridges, Solving Problems.” Representatives from nearly 100 four-year colleges and universities and 40 community colleges attended the event. One hundred and forty-five students attended the conference (compared to 95 last year). This was by far our most successful ADP National Meeting to date.

Comments from National Meeting attendees:

• “The ADP conference is, hands-down, my favorite conference of the year. It is a terrific place to share ideas in a friendly, collaborative setting.”
• “The whole conference was beautifully run, every plenary was enlightening and engaging. The sessions brought to light many different ideas, issues, challenges and gave our institution a lot to consider as we move forward with ideas of civic engagement on our campus.”
• “Honestly it felt like a constant barrage of empowerment and possibility…. Hearing the concepts which are driving this conference gave me, as a first time attendee, a hope which I have only felt on a few occasions.”
• “This was a very stimulating conference, and the diversity in attendance brings many good ideas but also a tremendously varied menu of how to implement ideas and make things happen!”

We kicked off the national meeting with pre-conference meetings and workshops on Thursday, June 6. Metropolitan State University of Denver, an ADP campus, hosted our first ever campus site-visit for conference attendees. Meeting participants were also able to attend workshops hosted by ADP’s Civic Health, eCitizenship, Stewardship of Public Lands and Global Engagement initiatives and it’s Political Engagement Project. Other meetings and workshops were hosted by  The Democracy Commitment, the Kettering Foundation,  Citizen Alum, the eJournal of Public Affairs, Public Achievement, Community Learning Partnership, Street Law, AAC&U’s Bridging Cultures grant program, AASCU faculty participating in our Urban Civic Minor grant project and AASCU’s Grants Resource Center.

Thursday afternoon’s opening plenary included welcome remarks from George Mehaffy and TDC’s Bernie

Opening performance by Metro State’s Chicano Studies performance group Journey Through Our Heritage

Ronan. Steven Jordan, president of Metropolitan State University of Denver, welcomed the large group to his city, followed by Melia Tagovailova – a recent Metro State graduate – who sang a beautiful and stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Metro State’s Chicano Studies performance group Journey Through Our Heritage burst on to the stage to share with us a story of protest and personal reflection. We then heard keynote speaker Denise Fairchild – President & CEO, Emerald Cities Collaborative – talk to us about “getting on the bus” of social change (Listen to her plenary talk.) She discussed the importance of civic engagement in the sustainability movement, and how informed and engaged Millennials will be the movers of shakers we need to create lasting change; all we have to do is give them the tools, skills, and the information.

We began the day Friday with a series of early, but energizing breakfast sessions. Participants heard from national ADP/TDC partner organizations including: Community Learning Partnership, GiveGab, Echoing Green, Street Law, the eJournal of Public Affairs, NCoC, the National Issues Forums Institute, and The Foundation for Democracy in Africa.

CIRCLE’s Peter Levine addressing ADP/TDC National Meeting attendees.

Peter Levine, the Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs in Tufts University’s Jonathan Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service and Director of CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, provided Friday’s plenary talk: A Defense of Higher Education and its Civic Mission (you can also listen to it here).

Following Peter’s talk, we announced the 2013 winners of the Plater Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement (see blog post) and the John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement (see blog post). Fresno State Provost William A. Covino was awarded AASCU’s 2013 William M. Plater Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement and Brandon Kliewer, Assistant Professor of Civic Engagement and ADP campus director at Florida Gulf Coast University, received the Saltmarsh Award.

After the morning plenary session, we broke into a series of featured and concurrent sessions. Friday’s Featured Sessions included panels on Purposeful Work: Educating for Citizen Careers, and Civic Pathways: Community College to University Transfer Programs; workshops about Preparing for the 2015 Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement and CIRCLE’s National Study of Student Learning, Voting & Engagement. There were also sessions about programs including The Human Library and ADP’s Global Challenges curriculum. Student presentations included one by SWER: Students Working for Equal Rights and another on multi-campus presentation on “Tweeting in Class!” Student Microblogging & Civic Practice. Three separate presentations constituted a featured session on Civic Learning in the Curriculum & Dialogue and Deliberation.

Throughout the day we successfully experimented with new session types including short Lightning Round presentations clustered by topic, a more dynamic poster session, and panels and workshops. This year’s Poster Session had 12 submissions. Posters were presented by students as well as faculty and staff. The posters highlighted results of various research projects on topics including hunger, voting, veterans on campus, gender identity, and global engagement.

Saturday brought a morning plenary session dedicated to the four student ADP/TDC video contest winners. In

Two students from both ADP and TDC speaking on civic engagement and its impact on their lives.

a panel moderated by Monroe Community College’s Verdis Robinson, Instructor of History and African-American Studies, ADP students Bianca Brown of Western Kentucky University and Rachel Wintz of the University of Alaska Anchorage spoke of their civic engagement journeys alongside TDC’s Justin Machelski of Delta College (Mich.) and Quinta Tangoh of Ohio’s Cuyahoga Community College.

Afterwards, meeting attendees were treated to another vast array of panels, workshops and other sessions including our annual Campus and Friends Showcase – an opportunity for our campuses and partner organizations to share their work and network with one another. More than 18 campuses and partner organizations hosted showcase tables this year. Attendees were also able to participate in roundtable discussions about a variety of topics on Saturday afternoon.

At the end of the day on Saturday, meeting attendees reconvened for a closing plenary featuring David Scobey, Executive Dean, The New School for Public Engagement (N.Y.). Scobey spoke about Post-Traditional Undergraduates and the Copernican Moment: New Models of Engaged Learning for the New Majority Student (listen here).

Afterwards, we celebrated the end of the conference with a closing reception at The Tavern, complete with dancing, a photo booth and a rooftop view of Denver.

It was an absolute honor to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about and engaged in the struggle to protect and improve our democracy. ADP continues to be one of the most successful and dynamic civic engagement projects in the country thanks in large part to the tireless dedication of the dynamic individuals gathered in Denver.

We hope to see you in Louisville, Kentucky, June 5-7, 2014, for the next ADP/TDC National Meeting where we will continue our important work of preparing informed, engaged citizens for our democracy.

PowerPoints and other handouts from the meeting are available through the meeting’s mobile app for the next year.

Finally, to see more pictures from the meeting, visit the ADP Facebook Page. Please send any photos you took to adp@aascu.org so that we can upload them to Facebook!