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Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education

Reclaiming Our Civic Purpose

Edited by William V. Flores and Katrina S. Rogers - Foreword by Neil Bush - Contributions by Jonathan R. Alger; Terrence Bensel; Noël Bezette-Flores; Harry C. Boyte; Amanda Buberger; Martín Carcasson; Rev. Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale; Sean Creighton; Waded Cruzado; Rassoul Dastmozd; Sean Decatur; Kevin Drumm; William V. Flores; Abraham Goldberg; Azuri Gonzalez; Windy Y. Lawrence; Otto Lee; John Locke; David Mathews; James Mullen; Eduardo Ochoa; Katrina S. Rogers; Adam Weinberg and David Wilson

In the most recent Democracy Index, the Economic Intelligence Unit downgraded the United States from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy.” Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education takes a hard look at the state of American democracy today through the lens of one of the nation’s most important actors: colleges and universities. Democracy is more than voting: it includes a wide range of democratic practices and depends on a culture of civic participation. Critical for strengthening democracy is the role that higher education leaders play in educating their constituencies about their responsibilities of citizenship. During a period of time when higher education is under pressure to meet 21^st century workforce needs, the authors here exhort to remember the public mission of education to serve the needs of the democracy, a government by the people means that the people must be ready to govern. It is in this spirit that these stories are offered to show how institutions across the country are reclaiming and reinvigorating one of the essential pillars upon which American democracy is based.

Lexington Books

Pages: 410 • Trim: 6½ x 9

978-1-4985-9094-5 • Hardback • May 2019 • $146.00 • (£112.00)

978-1-4985-9096-9 • Paperback • October 2021 • $52.99 • (£41.00)

978-1-4985-9095-2 • eBook • May 2019 • $50.00 • (£38.00)

Subjects: Political Science / Civics & Citizenship, Political Science / Political Ideologies / Democracy, Political Science / Public Policy / Cultural Policy

Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education

Reclaiming Our Civic Purpose

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

In the most recent Democracy Index, the Economic Intelligence Unit downgraded the United States from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy.” Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education takes a hard look at the state of American democracy today through the lens of one of the nation’s most important actors: colleges and universities. Democracy is more than voting: it includes a wide range of democratic practices and depends on a culture of civic participation. Critical for strengthening democracy is the role that higher education leaders play in educating their constituencies about their responsibilities of citizenship. During a period of time when higher education is under pressure to meet 21^st century workforce needs, the authors here exhort to remember the public mission of education to serve the needs of the democracy, a government by the people means that the people must be ready to govern. It is in this spirit that these stories are offered to show how institutions across the country are reclaiming and reinvigorating one of the essential pillars upon which American democracy is based.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 410 • Trim: 6½ x 9

978-1-4985-9094-5 • Hardback • May 2019 • $146.00 • (£112.00)

978-1-4985-9096-9 • Paperback • October 2021 • $52.99 • (£41.00)

978-1-4985-9095-2 • eBook • May 2019 • $50.00 • (£38.00)

Subjects: Political Science / Civics & Citizenship, Political Science / Political Ideologies / Democracy, Political Science / Public Policy / Cultural Policy

Author

William V. Flores is former president of the University of Houston–Downtown.

Katrina S. Rogers is president of Fielding Graduate University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Our Own Learning Paths Led Us to Points of Lights and Kettering

Chapter 2: Democracy’s Challenge for Academe: From Public Good to Consumer Good and Back Again?

Chapter 3: Tackling Technology, Inequality, and Globalization: Considerations for Leaders in a Democratic Society

Chapter 4: Perspectives from College Presidents—A View from a Collaborative Association

Chapter 5: Renewing Civil Society: Madison’s Living Legacy

Chapter 6: The Constituent Place of Service in Catholic Higher Education

Chapter 7: The Civically Engaged College

Chapter 8: Graduate Education and Civic Engagement: The Story of an Independent Graduate School

Chapter 9: Democracy in Action: Lessons of an Urban University

Chapter 10: When the Fight for Democracy and Justice is the Founding Purpose of your Institution

Chapter 11: Pragmatic Perspectives from Within an Urban Community College

Chapter 12: Community Colleges = Democracy’s Colleges

Chapter 13: Civic Engagement and Student Learning at Allegheny College

Chapter 14: Renewing the Promise of the Land Grant Universities

Chapter 15: Nurturing Democracy Through Regional Stewardship: The Case of CSU Monterey Bay

Chapter16: Moving from Civility to Respect and Decency: Preparing College Students for the Practice of Inclusive Citizenship in a Diverse Democracy

Chapter 17: The Cultivation of Practical Wisdom: A Collaborative Perspective on Civic Learning in Higher Education

Chapter 18: Sources of Professional Development for Community Engagement Directors in an Evolving Field

Chapter 19: Strengthening Higher Education Public Service Partnerships through Engagement and Dialogue

Chapter 20: From Crisis to Opportunity: Rethinking the Civic Role of Universities in the Face of Wicked Problems, Hyper-Partisanship, and Truth Decay

Chapter 21: Breaking a Silence: Becoming Citizen Professionals in Higher Education

Reviews

“Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education is a useful essay collectionthat comes at an opportune time. Our democracy is in urgent need of repair. Colleges and universities have a critical role to play in providing their students with the knowledge, skills, and attributes to be engaged citizens. Too often that responsibility is evident in mission statements, but not in how students are actually educated. This volume provides a wealth of wise counsel to help correct that failing.”
— Thomas Ehrlich, President Emeritus, Indiana University

“Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education is a must-read for any college president, faculty member or staff person committed to instilling civic engagement in the next generation of American leaders. The book asks and answers the question of how we can leverage the good will and talent of our country’s latest generation of young adults to impact the quality of life in our communities, reminding us that our colleges and universities must be active participants in pursuing the public good, instilling values in our students while demonstrating a commitment to making a difference beyond our campuses.”
— Elsa M. Núñez, President, Eastern Connecticut State University

“This invaluable resource, with its cast of diverse, experienced change-makers and educators, is crucial for paving the road for higher education to renew its commitment to our democracy and to educate our students to be the social capital and leaders of their communities. Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education is a manual for a path forward in civic education and inspires the reader to forge a pathway for our students, empowering them to take their rightful places in transforming our democracy into the one that we want instead of the democracy that we have. This work is critical, thoughtful, and important as well as timely."
— Verdis Robinson, Director of Community College Engagement, Campus Compact

Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education

Reclaiming Our Civic Purpose

Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education

Reclaiming Our Civic Purpose

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