UNL wins grant to foster student civic engagement

Research shows that college students who are engaged and active in their communities enjoy better mental health, are far less likely to drop out, and will remain highly involved citizens after they graduate.

Now, thanks to a new grant, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will create a Civic Engagement Certificate program that allows students to link what they learn in their courses with experiences outside the classroom.

UNL this week was among six U.S. colleges and universities to be chosen for the Bringing Theory to Practice Project. Matching grants totaling more than $1 million were awarded to the schools for work from 2010 to 2012 to develop transformative educational experiences on their campuses.

Linda Major, assistant to the vice chancellor for student affairs, said UNL's new certificate program will be implemented this fall. In the months to come, officials and faculty will establish a framework and criteria to increase the number of courses at UNL that include aspects of civic engagement. The university will also make available professional development reimbursement accounts for faculty to develop courses and co-curricular activities that include components and opportunities for civic engagement.

For students, some of the co-curricular activities might mean participating in an alternative spring break, conducting a community-based research project, organizing service to the city that is connected to their coursework, mentoring and tutoring or leading a student organization, Major said. As part of the certificate program, participating students will write about their experiences online.

"If we combine coursework and key activities over the four or five years students are here, it can help remove the burden of them needing to find extra time and money to become more civically engaged," she said. "We're excited about the opportunities this project will bring."

Not only will students be able to understand conceptually what they learn in the classroom, they will reinforce the lessons as they practice being active, responsible citizens and leaders. Developing individual and social responsibility is already an objective of UNL's recently implemented Achievement-Centered Education general education program, said Nancy Mitchell, director of General Education in UNL's Office of Undergraduate Studies. The new grant announced this week helps students fulfill or reinforce an area of the ACE program that calls for them to be able to explain ethical principles, civics and stewardship, and their importance to society.

"What students learn in the classroom, they can reinforce through application in their co-curricular activities," she said. "We expect that students will benefit from participating; employers have indicated that they are interested in hiring students who are civically engaged."

The Bringing Theory to Practice Project, sponsored by the Charles Engelhard Foundation and the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, was developed in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Besides UNL, the project involves Otterbein College, the State University of New York at Cortland, Tufts University, Georgetown University and Wagner College. The schools were chosen from among 50 institutional proposals.

"This round of grants will support the institutions as they make extraordinary commitments to the learning, psychosocial well-being, and civic development of their students," said Don Harward, project director. "We are honored to support their excellent work, as well as the work already underway on nearly 300 campuses around the nation having some connection to the project."

WRITER: Steve Smith, University Communications, (402) 472-4226