E-­‐zine                   Issue  1  –  February  2012  

   Editor/College  Coordinator:  Dr.  Scott  F.  Creamer  Assistant  Editor/Intern:  Ileana  Roque-­‐Gonzalez    History,  Mission,  &  Objectives       The  Democracy  Commitment  is  a  new  national  civic  engagement  project  for  community  colleges  that  aims  to  engage  community  college  students  in  civic  learning  and  democratic  practice.    The  goal  of  the  project  is  for  every  graduate  of  an  American  community  college  to  have  an  education  in  democracy.    This  includes  all  community  colleges’  students,  whether  they  aim  to  transfer  to  a  four-­‐year  college  or  university,  to  achieve  an  associate  degree,  or  to  obtain  a  certificate.  

The  Democracy  Commitment  is  modeled  after  the  American  Democracy  Project  (ADP),  a  national  coalition  of  public,  four-­‐year  colleges  and  universities  committed  to  civic  and  democratic  work,  sponsored  by  the  American  Association  of  State  Colleges  and  Universities  (AASCU)  in  partnership  with  The  New  York  Times.      With  more  than  50  community  colleges  signed  onto  the  Democracy  Commitment,  The  Democracy  Commitment  holds  an  annual  meeting,  sponsors  seven  national  civic  engagement  initiatives,  and  provides  a  national  platform  for  faculty,  staff,  and  students  to  foster  informed,  engaged  citizens  for  our  democracy.    To  learn  more  about  The  Democracy  Commitment,  visit  the  website.    To  see  a  copy  of  the  “declaration”  signed  by  our  very  own  Sandy  Shugart,  click  here.    John  Hancock,  eat  your  heart  out!      Valencia  Involvement       Here  at  Valencia,  our  goal  for  the  project  is  three-­‐fold,    ♦The  expansion  of  democracy-­‐enhancing  curricula    ♦Faculty  and  staff  development  in  civic  learning  and  democratic  practice  ♦Partnerships  with  local  civic,  non-­‐profit,  and  governmental  agencies    

Thus  far,  Valencia  College  has  been  active  in  helping  promote  the  tenets  of  this  institutional  movement  in  a  number  of  ways.    Last  semester,  Dr.  Scott  F.  Creamer,  Professor  of  Political  Science  on  the  Osceola  campus  and  College  Coordinator  for  the  Democracy  Commitment,  conducted  a  civic  inventory  that  detailed  Valencia’s  participation  in  civic  engagement  and  leadership  already  and  submitted  it  for  publication  on  the  Democracy  Commitment’s  website,  a  site  that  acts  as  a  national  clearinghouse  of  program  and  curricular  designs  for  community  colleges  (see  inventory  in  email  attachment).    In  addition,  Dr.  Creamer  attended  the  National  Signatory  Event  this  past  November  where  member  colleges  “signed”  the  declaration  and  began  the  process  or  networking  and  collaborative  opportunities  (see  photos  in  email  attachment).    This  semester  and  into  the  summer,  Valencia  will  keep  up  its  steady  involvement  in  the  Democracy  Commitment  through  a  number  of  endeavors  –    ♦Monthly  publication  of  an  E-­‐zine  ♦Production  of  a  video  detailing  Valencia’s  commitment  to  promoting  education  of  democratic  principles  and  community  leadership  to  be  screened  at  the  American  Democracy  Project  conference  this  summer  ♦An  event  on  April  4th,  Civic  Engagement  Day:  Service,  Participation,  and  the  College  Student,  that  will  include  speakers,  panelists,  food,  voter  registration  opportunities,  and  Valencia  students  clubs  promotion,  and  will  occur  on  West,  East,  and  Osceola  campuses  (sorry  Winter  Park  and  Lake  Nona    ♦Attendance  at  and  participation  in  the  national  Democracy  Commitment  conference  in  San  Antonio,  Texas  in  June  ♦Presentation  at  the  national  conference  of  an  academic  research  project,  "Parrotheads  or  Community  Leaders:  Alternative  Spring  Breaks  as  a  Method  of  Fostering  College  Students'  Civic  Commitment,”  by  Dr.  Scott  F.  Creamer      News     The  Democracy  Commitment  (national  organization)  received  a  $360,000  grant  to  support  faculty  and  curriculum  development  that  will  result  in  new  humanities  courses  that  teach  skills  and  knowledge  essential  for  responsible  citizenship  in  a  diverse  and  globally  connected  world.    12  community  colleges  will  be  selected  in  April,  2012  to  pilot  the  initiative.    The  proposal  deadline  is  March  15th.    To  learn  more  about  the  grant,  please  click  here.    To  learn  more  about  the  project,  its  requirements,  and  expectations,  please  click  here.  To  access  the  application  materials,  please  click  here.      Pillars  of  the  Community     In  each  issue  of  this  E-­‐zine,  a  Valencia  College  faculty  member,  staff  member,  or  community  partner  will  be  featured  that  has  brought  prominence  to  Valencia  as  a  strong  institution  of  civic  engagement,  education  in  democracy,  and  community  leadership,  along  with  personally  demonstrating  the  importance  of  civic  commitment  to  the  positive  development  of  a  college  and/or  local  community.    This  issue’s  featured  star  is,    

Rachel  Allen  –  Professor  of  Humanities;  Peace  and  Justice  Initiative  (PJI)  Coordinator    

      Professor  Allen  has  been  a  very  strong  proponent  of  service  learning  projects  and  experiential  learning  to  help  teach  civic  responsibility  and  to  strengthen  local  communities.    She  has  recently  led  students  to  south  Florida  to  participate  in  Habitat  for  Humanity  projects,  leads  students  every  semester  in  conducting  a  family  festival  for  homeless  families  as  part  of  the  Coalition  for  the  Homeless,  and  is  the  college  coordinator  for  the  Peace  and  Justice  Initiative,  a  group  here  at  Valencia  dedicated  to  transforming  the  culture  at  Valencia  into  one  where  peace  and  justice  for  all  are  valued.    The  organization  sponsors  a  speaker  series,  holds  events,  posts  important  articles  on  its  website,  and  issues  a  newsletter  that  is  available  to  the  public.    Thank  you,  Rachel,  for  all  your  hard  work  and  service  to  Valencia  College.    It  is  truly  appreciated.      Calendar  of  Events    February  16th  –  Faculty  Council  meeting,  2:30-­‐5pm,  Osceola  1-­‐219B  February  17th  –  International  Education  Steering  Committee  meeting  (SAGE),  2-­‐4pm  February  27th  –  Student  Affairs  Leadership  Team  (SALT)  meeting,  10am-­‐12pm,  West  HSB-­‐211  February  27th-­‐April  6th  –  Internship  application  deadline  March  15th  –  Faculty  Council  meeting,  2:30-­‐5pm,  Winter  Park  WPC  107  March  16th  and  17th  –  Healing  the  Heart  of  Democracy:  Faculty  and  Staff  Workshop  (PJI),  9am-­‐5pm,  off-­‐  

campus  site  March  26th  –  SALT  meeting,  10am-­‐12pm,  East  3-­‐113  April  4th  –  Civic  Engagement  Day:  Service,  Participation,  and  the  College  Student  (Democracy    

Commitment),  11am-­‐1pm,  West,  East,  and  Osceola  campuses  June  7th-­‐9th  –  National  American  Democracy  Project  and  The  Democracy  Commitment  Annual    

Meeting,  San  Antonio,  Texas    Faculty  Development  calendar  Employee  Activities  calendar  SAGE  international  education  events  Internship  and  Workforce  Services  on-­‐campus  recruitment  dates  Peace  and  Justice  Initiative  calendar  For  other  college  calendars  of  events,  workshops,  etc.,  click  here.  

 

 

 

Valencia  College  

Civic  Inventory  for  the  Democracy  Commitment  

Dr.  Scott  F.  Creamer,  Campus  Coordinator  

      Valencia  College  is  a  comprehensive  state  college  in  Florida  with  branch  campuses  in  Orlando,  Kissimmee,  Winter  Park,  and  Lake  Nona  that  offers  two  and  four-­‐year  degrees  while  serving  almost  32,000  full-­‐time  students  (over  60,000  total  headcount  enrollment).    Valencia  College  offers  a  wide  variety  of  academic  and  occupational  programs.     Part  of  Valencia  College’s  philosophy  is  that  it  is  a  multicultural  institution  committed  to  preparing  world  citizens  for  the  21st  century  while  recognizing  that  the  aim  of  education  is  the  development  of  the  whole  person;  one  who  is  prepared  to  value  citizenship  and  to  participate  in  a  global  community.    Part  of  its  mission  is  a  commitment  to  institutional  community  involvement,  community  development,  community  service,  civic  leadership,  civic  engagement,  and,  of  course,  civic  education.    The  following  table  is  a  summary  of  the  internal  civic  inventory  taken  by  Dr.  Scott  F.  Creamer,  Professor  of  Political  Science  at  Valencia  College  and  Campus  Coordinator  for  the  Democracy  Commitment,  which  describes  the  civic  engagement  that  is  already  occurring  and  identifies  opportunities  to  begin  work  in  areas  where  civic  engagement  activities  could  occur.    

Institutional  Intentionality   • The  Bill  Castellano  Civic  Leadership  Scholarship  •  Matador  Model  United  Nations  • National  Model  United  Nations  Conference  • Civic  Leadership  Internship  Program  • Southern  Regional  Model  United  Nations            

Conference  • Valencia  on  the  Hill  (civic  leadership  internship)  • Constitution  Day  events  • Veteran’s  Day  events  • Arab-­‐American  Day  (East  campus)  • Political  debates  • Voter  registration  drives  

 Academic  Focus  on  Civic  Engagement   I.  Curricular  Focus  on  Civic  Engagement  

         1.  A  focus  on  civic  engagement  in  General  Education  courses                          -­‐one  of  the  pursued  student  learning  outcomes  is  ethical  responsibility  –  the  demonstration  of  awareness  of  personal  responsibility  in  one’s  civic,  social,  and  academic  life            2.  A  focus  on  civic  engagement  in  Florida  

community  colleges’  General  Education  requirements                          -­‐Student  learning  outcome  of  global  socio-­‐cultural  responsibility  –  actively  participate  as  an  informed  citizen  in  social,  cultural,  global,  and  environmental  matters            3.  Content  of  POS  2041  U.S.  Government  (required  course  for  all  Associate  of  Art  degrees),  POS  2112  State  and  Local  Government,  POS  2232  Government  and  the  Media,  and  POS  2940  Internship  in  Civic  Leadership  (faculty  as  supervisor)  courses                          -­‐explore  foundations  of  democracy,  core  principles  of  American  democracy,  key  founding  documents,  contemporary  issues  in  American  life,  etc.    II.  Teaching  and  Learning            1.  Democratic  teaching  styles  (encouraging  critical  thinking,  taking  independent  positions  and  supporting  them,  not  simply  agreeing  with  the  faculty  member’s  point  of  view,  providing  opportunities  to  challenge  others  in  respectful  ways)                          -­‐critical  thinking  as  student  learning  outcome  –  effectively  analyze,  evaluate,  synthesize,  and  apply  information  and  ideas  from  diverse  sources  and  disciplines            2.  Diversity                          -­‐Faculty,  as  part  of  their  required  faculty  learning  outcomes,  need  to  achieve  a  competency  in  diversity  by  designing  learning  opportunities  that  acknowledge,  draw  upon,  and  are  enriched  by  student  diversity.    An  atmosphere  of  inclusion  and  understanding  is  promoted  in  all  learning  environments.            3.  Civic  Leadership  Programs                          -­‐civic  leadership  internship  for  students  interested  in  a  career  in  public  service  or  in  seeking  political  office                                          -­‐intern  with  public  policy  agencies  and  elected  officials  at  federal,  state,  and  local  levels  while  being  supervised  by  a  political  science  faculty  member  

                                       -­‐upon  completion  of  internship  and  classroom  presentation,  students  receive  a  $500  Presidential  Scholarship                                          -­‐68  students  since  2004  have  been  placed  in  internships                                          -­‐In  2011,  internships  included  those  with  U.S.  senators  Bill  Nelson  and  Marco  Rubio;  Florida  senator  Andy  Gardiner;  representatives  Corrine  Brown,  Eric  Einsnaugle,  and  Darren  Soto;  Girl  Scouts  of  America;  CourtWatch  Florida;  the  Orlando  Police  Department                                          -­‐Bill  Castellano  Civic  Leadership  Scholarship            4.  Service  Learning  –  experiential  learning  that  benefits  the  community  and  enhances  student  engagement  with  course  content                          -­‐faculty  development  course  Service  Learning  Across  the  Curriculum  (LCTS  3213)  through  the  Office  of  faculty  Development    III.  Student  Experiential  Learning  

1.  Service  Learning  course  SLS  2940                -­‐students  earn  college  credit  while  responding  to  needs  in  the  community  and  applying  knowledge  from  their  courses  with  guidance  from  a  faculty  supervisor                -­‐2011  projects  have  included  taking  students  to  the  Dominican  Republic  (Kevin  Mulholland  and  Christie  Pickeral)  to  host  a  science  camp  for  children,  Habitat  for  Humanity  projects  (supervised  by  Ann  Farrell,  Rachel  Allen,  and  Andy  Ray),  Coalition  for  the  Homeless  projects  (Rachel  Allen),  and  involvement  in  Give  Kids  the  World  (Deb  Hall)  2.  Service  Learning  Components  of  Courses                -­‐projects  include  web  design  for  the  non-­‐profit  agency  Greyhound  Pets  of  America  (supervised  by  Colin  Archibald),  created  videos  to  advocate  for  various  non-­‐profit  groups  (Linda  Anthon),  volunteer  at  and  research  project  on  various  non-­‐profit  agencies  (Erin  O’Brien),  service  at  Second  Harvest  Food  Bank  (Ellen  Pastorino),  planning  and  managing  donation  drives  for  Orlando-­‐based  non-­‐profit  

organizations  (Nicole  Valentino)  3.  Internships  (aforementioned)  

 IV.  Divisions  and  Departments            1.  As  part  of  the  General  Education  requirements,  there  is  a  special  focus  on  civic  engagement  college-­‐wide.    Explicit  examples  include  health  related  departments  and  their  course  content,  in  addition  to  the  course  components  of  the  political  science  department  (e.g.  POS  2041  U.S.  Government  is  a  required  course  where  there  is  extensive  teaching  of  democratic  principles  in  the  U.S.  and  discussion  and  critical  analysis  of  one’s  place  within  this  system  and  republican  society).            2.  Study  Abroad  and  Global  Experiences  (SAGE)  program’s  goal  of  creating  a  more  global  student  citizenry  through  workshops,  short  and  long-­‐term  study  abroad  programs,  and  active  committee  work  on  internationalizing  the  curriculum            3.  Peace  and  Justice  Initiative  (PJI)  is  a  faculty  and  staff  led  initiative  that  aims  to  transform  the  culture  at  Valencia  into  one  where  peace  and  justice  for  all  are  valued,  and  conflict  is  viewed  as  an  opportunity  for  growth  and  transformation.    They  sponsor  speakers  and  events,  promote  articles  and  texts,  and  issue  a  newsletter.    V.  Leadership  Programs            1.  Leadership  Symposium                          -­‐educates  students  on  the  importance  of  networking,  professionalism,  and  communication  skills  during  an  annual  spring  term  event            2.  Leadership  Speaker  Series            3.  The  Next  Dimension  Leadership  Program  (East  campus)                          -­‐lectures  by  motivational  speakers  and  life  coaches  on  topics  like  human  diversity,  leadership,  finances,  team  building,  and  life  skills            4.  Skillshops    

Co-­‐Curricular  and  Extra  Curricular  Focus  on  Civic  Engagement  

I.  Student  Groups  • Student  Government  Association  • Student  Leader  Team  • Valencia  Volunteers  

-­‐runs  and  sponsors  fundraisers  such  as  those  for  Alzheimer’s  research  and  supporting  troops  in  the  U.S.  military  through  events  like  barbeques,  pizza  sales,  Adopt  an  Angel  drive,  etc.  -­‐works  with  over  200  community  agencies  in  Central  Florida  

• African-­‐American  Cultural  Society  • American  Arab  Culture  Club  • Amnesty  International  • Campus  Crusade  for  Christ  • Caribbean  Student  Association  • Gay/Straight  Alliance  • Latin  American  Student  Organization  • Muslim  Student  Association  • Republican  Club  • Secular  Student  Alliance  • Valencia  Haitian  Student  Association  • Valencia  Intercultural  Association  • Valencia  International  Club  • Model  United  Nations  (U.N.)  • Valencia  Students  for  Change  

 II.  Individual  and  Independent  Civic  Projects  

• e.g.  Faculty  Association  President  Dr.  Robert  Gessner’s  presentation  for  an  anti-­‐smoking  campaign  

Evaluations  of  Civic  Engagement   • Student  evaluations  of  faculty  • Use  of  Community  College  Survey  on  

Student  Engagement  (CCSSE)  for  measuring  student  engagement  

Critical  Analysis  and  Recommendations   Valencia  College  has  done  a  commendable  job  developing  and  expanding  academic,  professional,  and  service  programs  and  projects  aimed  at  engaging  community  college  students  in  civic  learning  and  democratic  practice.    The  goal  of  being  a  member  of  the  Democracy  Commitment  organization  as  a  signatory  institution  is  to  educate  every  graduate  in  democracy,  and  Valencia  has  accomplished  this  task  already  to  a  large  extent  considering  its  focus  on  teaching  democratic  methods  and  principles  campus-­‐wide  and  strong  community  service  learning  and  internship  

programs.    After  review  of  other  institutions  and  their  programs,  those  of  Valencia  are  not  standard  on  major  campuses  and  is  demonstrative  of  just  how  progressive  Valencia  College  is  in  many  academic  and  professional  areas,  including  promoting  civic  engagement.    However,  there  is  always  room  for  improvement.    The  following  are  some  recommendations  given  either  current  needs  for  improvement  or  areas  not  considered  previously  for  civic  involvement:  

• Make  CCSSE  results  more  accessible  to  the  public  by  putting  the  data  on  the  Valencia  College  website  (Assessment  &  Institutional  Effectiveness  website  or  otherwise)  

• Weekly  or  monthly  updates  provided  by  the  campus  coordinator  keeping  faculty  and  students  aware  and  excited  by  upcoming  civic-­‐related  events  

• A  small  online  magazine,  or  e-­‐zine,  written  and  distributed  college-­‐wide  by  the  campus  coordinator  that  celebrates  service  learning  and  civic  engagement  

• Expand  student  and  youth  leadership  programs            -­‐annual  leadership  conference  that  connects  high  school  and  college  students  to  community-­‐based  youth  and  student  organizations  and  features  workshops  on  topics  like  financing  college  education,  community  building,  and  social  and  cultural  activism            -­‐intensive  training  program  for  Valencia  College  students  interested  in  gaining  practical  skills  in  political  action.    This  “camp”  would  focus  on  subjects  like  electoral  campaigns,  citizen  activism,  and  grassroots  advocacy  and  organization  

• Draw  upon  more  legislators,  community  partners,  and  public  policy  groups  for  internships  through  elevated  marketing  of  the  program  

• Civic  and  Community  Engagement  Certificate  

         -­‐Many  colleges  and  universities,  such  as  Northwestern  University,  The  University  of  Connecticut,  Johns  Hopkins  University,  and  many  others,  along  with  community  colleges  like  De  Anza  College  have  certificate  programs  (or  similarly  in  social  policy)  that  engage  students  in  leadership  development  and  community  based  or  service  learning.    A  certificate  would  also  add  an  additional  qualification  for  those  seeking  public  policy  or  political  advocacy  work  in  the  future.  

• Collaboration  and  joint  events  with  The  University  of  Central  Florida  on  projects  and  programs          -­‐UCF  attends  the  American  Democracy  Conference  every  year                      -­‐Campus  coordinator  would  maintain  regular  contact  with  Dr.  Thomas  Bryer,  Professor  of  Public  Administration  at  UCF,  to  coordinate  joint,  collaborative  efforts  

• Campus  coordinator  would  encourage  faculty  and  students  to  form  a  delegation  to  attend  the  Democracy  Commitment  annual  conference  (campus  coordinator  will  attend  this  conference),  along  with  possibly  attending  other  political  science,  public  administration,  social  policy,  and  civic  leadership  conferences  

• Utilize  additional  campus/district  civic  engagement  assessment  instruments  regularly  throughout  the  academic  year