Already a leader in student civic engagement, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has signed a national pledge committing campuses throughout the nation to further promote the democratic ideal.
UW Oshkosh has signed the Presidents’ Declaration on the Civic Responsibility of Higher Education, a document committing leaders of colleges and universities to promote greater civic engagement in their classrooms, on campuses and in their communities.
“I think it’s important our campus is part of this national movement,” said Carleen Vande Zande, UW Oshkosh vice chancellor for curricular affairs and student academic achievement.
The Presidents’ Declaration is a document developed by a national roundtable of university and college leaders in 1999 “to articulate the commitment of all sectors of higher education — public and private, two- and four-year — to their civic purposes,” according to Campus Compact, a national coalition dedicated to furthering civic engagement in higher education.
The Presidents’ Leadership Colloquium convened by Campus Compact in 1999 refined and endorsed the declaration. It was subsequently supported by the American Council on Education. More than 560 colleges and university presidents, chancellors and top leaders have signed on since.
Vande Zande said UW Oshkosh’s commitment to the Presidents’ Declaration is one more example of its ongoing effort to engrain civic engagement in the student experience and campus culture.
One of UW Oshkosh’s Student Learning Outcomes, goals identified by the institution’s Liberal Education Reform Team (LERT), is the responsibility to develop “Civic knowledge and engagement — local and global.”
Last fall, UW Oshkosh became the first in Wisconsin to introduce a civic engagement minor and emphasis through its political science department. The full-fledged program launched this spring with the “Essentials of Civic Engagement” course.
Meanwhile, UW Oshkosh’s American Democracy Project continues to host speakers, analysts and elected officials and coordinate political issue forums for campus and community audiences. The ADP has also been instrumental in increasing student voter numbers and getting students more deeply involved in the election process.
A campus survey conducted by UW Oshkosh’s Division of Student Affairs through the Student Voice program, focusing on student engagement, found:
- Approximately 60 percent of UW Oshkosh students surveyed were involved in at least one student club or organization.
- In terms of political awareness, 62 percent of students surveyed were registered to vote and 88 percent of students who lived off campus were registered to vote.
- Students perceptions about civic engagement show that they gain real-life experiences and grow in their leadership skills.
- 73 percent of students surveyed saw connections to what is being learned in class to the local, national and global events
The signing of the Presidents’ Declaration complements UW Oshkosh’s well established civic engagement track record, Vande Zande said.
“All of this helps affirm the work that has happened organically on our campus,” she said.
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