The program featured an introduction to Street Law’s Community College Initiative, DiscoverLaw.org’s efforts at promoting diversity in legal education, and an introduction to The Democracy Commitment (TDC). The program included a visit to the University of Miami to speak with law school representatives from the University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University, and Florida International University.

A major focus of the workshop was developing strategies for faculty to teach civic engagement in community colleges utilizing materials and resources created by Street Law. Community colleges are popular venues for higher education today, particularly among diverse populations including immigrants, minority groups, and nontraditional students. As such helping faculty promote approaches to developing civic learning is critical to fostering community and global engagement, an essential component of peacebuilding. Tomorrow’s civic, business, and government leaders will increasingly come from community colleges.

Street Law is working with community colleges around the U.S. to assist in advancing legal, democratic, and human rights education and recently launched an effort with “democracy’s colleges.” Faculty development seminars have been held in Chicago, and the Bay Area, in addition to Miami. A program for community colleges will be held in Baltimore in November.

LSAC’s Discoverlaw.org program is designed to advance diversity in the legal profession, including creating a pathway for community college students to enter law school. The Democracy Commitment

Looking at civic engagement, diversity, and democratic values in community colleges

is a community college initiative focused on engaging “community college students in civic learning and democratic practice.” TDC is present in over 60 colleges in the U.S.

Call for Proposals – Due November 9^th, 2012

6th International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE)

Bridging Cultures: Education for Global Citizenship and Civic Engagement

Conference Details Available at: http://creducation.org/cre/goto/6th

June 12 – 17, 2013

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Call for Proposals in pdf format available here.

Audience:  Those interested in Civic Engagement, Conflict Resolution Education (CRE)/Social and Emotional Learning(SEL)/peace education (PE), global education, citizenship education, democracy education, and the role and impact of migrating populations/communities, including policy makers, practitioners, researchers, educators, college and university faculty, staff, and students, K-12 educators, public health officials, gender based violence prevention practitioners, local, national, and international policy makers, and individuals who work with youth serving organizations.

June 12^th-13^th               Pre-Conference Trainings

June 14^th-15^th               Main Conference – Keynotes and Workshops

June 16^th-17^th               Community Colleges Intensive Working Group Meeting: Curriculum Development and Action Planning

Keynote Speakers (June 14-15, 2013):

Pre-Conference Trainings (June 12-13, 2013, 9:00a.m.-5p.m.):

Center for Applied Conflict ManagementIntegrating Core Theories of Conflict Resolution Across DisciplinesSustained Dialogue Campus

NetworkDeveloping a Sustained Dialogue Campus Student NetworkAmerican Red CrossIntegrating Humanitarian Law Concepts Into the HumanitiesOhio Campus CompactIntegrating Service Learning and Opportunities for Civic Engagement Into CoursesInternational Center on Nonviolent ConflictPeople Power and Pedagogy: Methods for Teaching about Nonviolent Struggle

Global Issues Resource Center and Library at Cuyahoga Community College is partnering with colleges and universities, local, national, and international non-governmental and governmental organizations to host the 6th International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE), Bridging Cultures: Education for Global Citizenship and Civic Engagement in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.  Earlier conferences and working group meetings brought together government representatives from among the 50 states, around the globe, and their non-governmental organization partners who have legislation or policies in place to deliver CRE/SEL/PE and Civics Education at the K-12 level and in universities.  Conference and meeting publications are available at: http://www.creducation.org/cre/global_cre

The 6^th International Conference on CRE is an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and research. Presentations will focus on innovations in the fields that are making broad impacts in local, state, national, and international communities.  Participants will exchange best practices, evaluation methodology, creation of policy implementation structures, consideration of obstacles to success, and new and innovative use of training, resources and technology. Conference participants will be drawn from the local, state, national, and international community.  College students and faculty are encouraged to attend and present their findings.  On-site events include a meeting of Colleges and Universities developing peace and conflict studies programs, June 13th, 6:30PM – 9:30PM and a capacity building seminar for U.S. Community Colleges developing peace and conflict studies programs on June 16^th – 17^th, 2013.

Credits offered: Graduate, Social Work (pending), Counselor (pending), and CEUs

Planning Committee:

• The American Red Cross
• The Association for Conflict Resolution, Education Section
• Austin Community College
• Case Western Reserve University, Mandel School of Applied Social Science
• Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Winning Against Violent Environment Program (WAVE)
• Cleveland State University, College of Education and Human Services
  Cuyahoga Community College, Peace Club
• The Democracy Commitment
• Eastern Mennonite University, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding
• The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)
  International Institute for Sustained Dialogue
• International School Psychology Association
• Kennesaw State University, Master of Science in Conflict Management Program
• University of Maryland, Center for Dispute Resolution
• National Peace Academy
• Organization of American States, Department of Education and Culture
• Ohio Campus Compact
• Ohio Domestic Violence Network
• Ohio State University, Center for Slavic and East European Studies
• Sustained Dialogue Campus Network
• The University of Akron, College of Education

 Questions?  Contact Global Issues Resource Center at + 1 – 216-987-2224 (USA) or e-mail at: GIRC@tri-c.edu

Thank you TDC for including us!

- Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager

ENGAGE THE ELECTION: 2012

Webinar Series

Hosted by The Democracy Commitment, the Engage the Election: 2012 webinar series is an opportunity for college and university campuses to learn more about the programs and resources available to them through national organizations including CIRCLE, the League of Women Voters, the Campus Vote Project, and Student PIRGs. The webinars will presente offerings intended to help ADP & TDC campuses in their efforts to reach out and better engage both students on campus and members of the community in the upcoming national election.

We’re very excited for the opportunity to share the work happening with our national partners and how their resources can help you engage your students in the upcoming national election. We have a great lineup the first three Mondays in August.

To download a schedule with webinar summaries, click here. To register for the webinar series, click here. The password to register is: TDCEngage2012

The following are dates for the webinar series and the presenting partner organizations with a summary of their 30-minute webinar.

Monday, August 6, 2012 @ 3:00pm-4:00pm EDT

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Fantasy Politics

The webinar will begin with a brief demo of Fantasy Politics, a free and addictive educational game that applies fantasy football dynamics to politics. Then we will go over how this fits into a civics/social studies/government curriculum as well as discuss best practices for driving student engagement well beyond what would be possible with a textbook. Finally, we’ll finish the session with Q&A.

Presenter: Aaron Michel, CEO

Use Your Vote. Raise Our Voice.

The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project is a non-partisan student mobilization campaign. Since 1984 we’ve helped to register more than 1.7million people. This webinar will talk through our best practices for ensuring your campus registers and turns out on Election Day. For more information on our campaign check out  http://www.StudentVote.org

Presenter: Leigh-Anne Cole, New Voters Project Director

Monday, August 13, 2012 @ 3:00pm-4:00pm EDT

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League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters, a leader in engaging and empowering voters for more than 90 years, is active in 800 communities nationwide and ready to work with community college campuses this fall! From helping out with voter registration drives to providing quality nonpartisan information about candidates and the basics you need to know to help your friends get ready for Election Day, the League stands ready to work together. The webinar will be about the League’s work and ways you can join forces with a local League in your area.

Presenter: Maggie Duncan, Elections Program Manager

Campus Vote Project (CVP)

CVP is a campaign of the Fair Elections Legal Network to help colleges break down barriers to voting that disproportionately affect students. This webinar will summarize specific reforms from the CVP toolkit that a school can implement to get college students the information they need to register and vote. It will also cover important election rules and will describe the state-specific resources CVP can provide to support election awareness, voter registration, and GOTV efforts.

Presenter: Dan Vicuna, Staff Attorney and Campus Vote Project Coordinator

Monday, August 20, 2012 @ 3:00pm-4:00pm EDT

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Turbo Vote

TurboVote is a service that makes registering to vote, voting by mail, and never missing an election as easy as renting a netflix DVD.  Over 20 colleges across the country have partnered with TurboVote to provide the service on their campuses.  In this webinar, TurboVote Director of Partnerships Sam Novey will discuss exactly how TurboVote works for both users and institutional partners.

Presenter: Seth Flaxman, Executive Director and Co-founder

CIRCLE

TurboVote is a service that makes registering to vote, voting by mail, and never missing an election as easy as renting a netflix DVD.  Over 20 colleges across the country have partnered with TurboVote to provide the service on their campuses.  In this webinar, TurboVote Director of Partnerships Sam Novey will discuss exactly how TurboVote works for both users and institutional partners.

Presenter: Nancy Thomas, Director, Initiatives for the Study of Higher Education and Public Life

To download a schedule with webinar summaries, click here. To register for the webinar series, click here. The password to register is: TDCEngage2012

For more information about Engage the Election: 2012 you can visit TDC’s website under “Initiatives.” You can also engage amongst your colleagues and students on the Engage the Election: 2012 Facebook page.

Please feel free to share this information with anyone on your college campus that you believe would benefit from the information and resources of this series.

The New York Times salutes the American Democracy Project (ADP) on Sunday, February 5, 2012. The New York Times Knowledge Network, the educational division of The Times and co-founder of ADP, is publishing an insert on education which will reach an estimated 8,000,000 readers. The full back page of the insert recognizes the American Democracy Project and its community college sister organization, The Democracy Commitment.

George Mehaffy, Vice President for Academic Affairs at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and founder of ADP, remarked: “Since 2003, The New York Times has been steadfast in its support of the American Democracy Project and our efforts to produce informed, engaged citizens for our democracy. This salute is yet another example of the marvelous support of Felice Nudelman and her colleagues at The New York Times.”

The American Democracy Project offers a whole-hearted thank you to The New York Times Knowledge Network for their continued support and for their commitment to support education for informed, engaged citizenship in our democracy. Join us in celebrating our civic work together!

Please watch for ADP in The New York Times on Sunday, February 5^th!

You can view the NYT’s salute to ADP here.

The American Democracy Project will celebrate its 10^th anniversary during 2012-2013. Our 10^th annual national meeting will take place in San Antonio, TX at the Marriott Rivercenter June 7-9, 2012. The theme of the meeting is Civic Engagement 2.0: Re-Imagining, Strengthening and Deepening Our Civic Work. Registration is now open and you can register, reserve a hotel room, and submit a proposal here.

Our signature anniversary project will be a Civic Health Assessment and Action Plan Initiative, which will begin at the annual national meeting in June. The Civic Health Initiative will allow institutions to investigate the civic health of their own campus and local community. The Civic Health Initiative will also provide opportunities for campuses to develop and execute action plans in areas that in which they identify room for growth.

Our Stewardship of Public Lands Initiative will launch its 8^th week-long faculty-development seminar in Yellowstone National Park July 30 – August 4, 2012. Read more about it and how to register here.

The new eJournal of Public Affairs, a partnership between Missouri State University and the American Democracy Project, will officially launch in Winter 2012. The eJournal will be a space for peer-reviewed scholarship related to civic engagement. Volunteer to be a reviewer or submit an original manuscript:

• eJournal of Public Affairs_Call for Submissions
• eJournal of Public Affairs_Call for Reviewers

We will launch an ADP Book Club with an inaugural book discussion in San Antonio. Details will be announced soon!

In addition to our own work, ADP will continue to work with our community college colleagues at The Democracy Commitment (TDC), a new civic engagement initiative which currently has more than 50 participating institutions. TDC will again join ADP at our annual meeting in San Antonio! Read more about The Democracy Commitment here.

We’re busy making and keeping civic commitments and would love to hear your personal and institutional civic commitments as well!

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, ADP’s new sister project, The Democracy Commitment (TDC) was in need of a National Coordinator. The Democracy Commitment is a national civic engagement project for community colleges, modeled after ADP. We partnered with The Democracy Commitment this past spring in sharing our national meeting. Through a combination of a gift from the Rappaport Foundation and membership fees from community colleges that have joined the TDC project thus far, The Democracy Commitment is funding a Program Associate-level position at AASCU.

Well, today I am pleased to announce that we have identified the new National Coordinator for The Democracy Commitment. Amee Bearne jumped right in by joining us for TDC’s national launch event at The New York Times last Friday, November 4. Amee officially started her new position this week and has plans to attend TDC regional events being planned in Massachusetts and Texas in the next couple of weeks. Amee comes to us with the unique vantage point of having attended first a founding signatory of TDC, Santa Monica College, and then graduating with her BA in political science from San Francisco State University, a founding ADP member and AASCU institution. Amee will work alongside George Mehaffy and me here at AASCU in Washington, D.C. to develop this fledgling project and to strengthen the partnership between TDC and ADP. We are very excited that Amee has joined our team at AASCU and that is ready to help TDC grow and flourish!

Amee and the many other members of The Democracy Commitment will join us in San Antonio, June 7-9 2012 for our ADP National Meeting. Please be sure to welcome her and introduce yourself!

Please read below as Amee introduces herself more fully.

Amee, Adam and Abe

By Amee Bearne

I am thrilled by the opportunity to work with The Democracy Commitment. Having just moved to the Washington, D.C. area from San Francisco in late August, it is such a privilege to find an organization where I can further my passions in civic engagement and strengthening higher-education infrastructure.

In San Francisco, I worked with the Institute for Civic & Community Engagement employing civic engagement tools and policy and data analysis skills toward the betterment of District 11. I also worked in the office of District 11 Supervisor John Avalos as the liaison between a newly formed community organization representing half the district and the supervisor’s office. My work included BART line and station renovations, building social capital between communities and local colleges and universities, and presenting Census data analysis to inform city officials of needs of the district’s vulnerable populations.

Interestingly, I attended Santa Monica College in Los Angeles, an early signatory of The Democracy Commitment, and later transferred to San Francisco State University, a founding signatory for the American Democracy Project, where I earned my B.A. in Political Science. During my time with SFSU, I studied abroad for one year in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom at Cardiff University. While there I met a fantastic fellow named Adam from Glasgow, Scotland who became my best friend. We were married in early August of this year.

Informally, I like to read on the train, mix Neapolitan ice cream flavors together, ride my bike, make waffles from scratch, picnic at the seaside, play community softball, drink good beer, talk about all things Harry Potter and stay in bed all weekend. Rarely do these things actually happen.

I look forward to working with the students, faculty, and staff that comprise The Democracy Commitment and I am excited about the important work we have before us.

We’ve mentioned ADP’s new sister organization, The Democracy Commitment a few times on this blog already (here’s the debut The Democracy Commitment blog post). The Democracy Commitment is a national civic engagement project for community colleges, modeled after ADP. We partnered with The Democracy Commitment this past spring in sharing our national meeting. Today, we’re going a step further.

We’re announcing a search for a National Coordinator of The Democracy Commitment. Through a combination of a gift from the Rappaport Foundation and membership fees from community colleges that have joined the project thus far, The Democracy Commitment is funding a Program Associate-level position at AASCU. The new National Coordinator will work alongside George Mehaffy and me here at AASCU in Washington, D.C. to develop this fledgling project and to strengthen the partnership between The Democracy Commitment and ADP.

Below you will find the complete job announcement with instructions on how to apply for the position. Because we want to hire someone who is passionate about the role of higher education in a democracy, we are turning to you. Please pass this job posting along to anyone you think might be a good fit. Thank you in advance for your help!

You can also download the position announcement and application instructions here.

Program Associate

American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) seeks a Program Associate in the division of Academic Leadership and Change (ALC). The position has primary responsibility for directing The Democracy Commitment. The Democracy Commitment is a new national civic engagement initiative focused on the role of community colleges in preparing informed, engaged citizens for our democracy. The initiative currently involves 50 participating colleges and the initiative seeks to grow the number of participating colleges dramatically in the months to come. The Program Associate plans and implements The Democracy Commitment’s annual national meeting, as well as the initiative’s day-to-day activities. The Program Associate coordinates The Democracy Commitment’s social networking and media outreach.

Program Associate duties include the following:

• Providing operational leadership for The Democracy Commitment while working closely with the national leadership of The Democracy Commitment who will provide the strategic vision.
• Coordinating day-to-day operations and implementation of ongoing initiatives.
• Developing, designing, and implementing The Democracy Commitment programs and initiatives while working closely with The Democracy Commitment’s national program leaders and advisory groups.
• Cultivating and maintaining partnerships with national partner organizations.
• Working closely with member community college campuses on project activities.
• Implementing communications outreach strategies for The Democracy Commitment.
• Representing The Democracy Commitment at national meetings and conferences; making presentations about The Democracy Commitment initiatives.
• Assuming other functions and responsibilities as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Affairs, English, Communications or a comparable field required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of and experience using Microsoft Office products
• Familiar with current Web design practices
• Administrative mastery of social networking tools including Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, YouTube, Jumo, and wikis.

Preferred:

• 1-3 years relevant experience preferred, particularly in program development and implementation.

Strongly Preferred:

• Strong preference will be given to applicants with community college experience – as a student or employee.

Salary: mid to high $ 30s.  Open until filled.

Submit application materials (cover letter and resume) via e-mail to HR@aascu.org or via mail to AASCU, Attn: Human Resources, 1307 New York Avenue, NW, 5^th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005.

AASCU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The American Democracy Project and our new sister community college civic engagement initiative The Democracy Commitment were recently included in ACPA’s Commission on Student Development in the Two-Year College’s Summer 2011 newsletter “The Pipeline.”

ACPA: College Student Educators International’s Commission for Student Development in the Two-Year College is “is directly concerned with issues relevant to student development programs at two-year institutions.”

In her “From the Chair” introduction, Dr. Lisa Kelsay, the current chair of the Commission for Student Development in the Two-Year College, wrote, “Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the American Democracy Project National Meeting and The Democracy Commitment planning meeting in Orlando, FL. The American Democracy Project began in 2003 as an initiative of the 4-year colleges and it has grown extensively since day one. The goal according to the ADP is to “produce graduates who are committed to being active, involved citizens in their communities.” The Democracy Commitment was created to focus on democracy at the 2-year college level. The excitement level by faculty, staff, and students from the 2- and 4-year colleges in attendance was incredible. Keynote speakers such as Erica Williams (Civic Engagement Laboratory) and Andrew Rosenthal (New York Times) brought such a depth to the information shared. Through conversations with attendees and at various workshops, I learned about many projects and programs that we could implement on our campus through collaboration between academic and student affairs. I believe that participating in this initiative would be good for all 2-year colleges. To learn more about this program and how your college can become a part of this new initiative, go to http://www.deanza.edu/communityengagement/democracycommitment/.”

The newsletter also includes a portion of Cecilia Orphan’s earlier interview with The Democracy Commitment co-founder Dr. Bernie Ronan from this blog’s March 2011 post, “The Democracy Commitment: Community Colleges in the Mix.”

You can view the Summer 2011 edition of “The Pipeline” electronic newsletter here.

For more information about ACPA’s Commission for Student Development in the Two-Year College, go here.

I am pleased to announce the creation of The Democracy Commitment (TDC), a new and growing national civic engagement movement for community colleges. ADP has partnered with TDC to help with the launch and early management of this exciting new initiative. I have been serving in an advisory role for the leaders in the TDC, and I couldn’t be more delighted by their progress thus far and their dedication to opening up the civic engagement movement to community colleges and their students. TDC is an idea whose time has come. With the increasing focus on community colleges as engines for workforce development, it is important for their important civic and public purpose not to get lost. TDC provides leadership for community colleges focused on preparing citizen professionals who will improve their communities and build a stronger economy.

My support and enthusiasm for this project is personal – as a first-generation college student, I attended a community college during my second year of college and I have since been a defender and supporter of their mission to provide low-cost, high-quality education to often under served students. I hope that the TDC will create a common, civic thread between the 2-year experience and the 4-year experience for the thousands of AASCU students (like myself) who transfer from community colleges. I also hope that those students who are attending community colleges to gain a professional skill or trade will also gain a sense of public purpose for their work along with a deeper commitment to their role as citizens.

To help explain TDC, one of its leaders, Bernie Ronan, agreed to be interviewed for the ADP Blog. Bernie directs the Maricopa Community Colleges’ Division of Public Affairs, which includes the Center for Civic Participation. Dr. Ronan has been an administrator in the Maricopa Colleges for the past 20 years. He has also served as Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, and as Deputy Associate Superintendent of the Arizona Department of Education. Ronan earned his doctorate in public administration from Arizona State University.

Cecilia M. Orphan (CMO): Tell us about The Democracy Commitment (TDC). Why was it created? Who has signed on so far?

Bernie Ronan (BR): The Democracy Commitment is a new national initiative of community colleges, in service to democracy and the future of our communities.

Our colleges play an important role in job training, for which we have received unparalleled national attention. But we also have a vital role to play in educating students for democracy, to be engaged and active citizens in their communities. Our communities need this more than ever, due to apathy and polarization in our politics, and the incredible stresses they face. And our community college students’ ability to exercise their democratic rights and work together in public life, to be generous and tolerant and yet able to advocate for themselves, will help determine the future of our communities.

The Democracy Commitment will provide a national platform for the development and expansion of programs and projects aimed at engaging community college students in civic learning and democratic practice. Our goal is that every graduate of an American community college shall have had an education to democracy. This includes all our students, whether they aim to transfer to university, gain a certificate, or obtain an associate degree.

Our strategy is to reach out to a group of “early adopters,” presidents and chancellors whose colleges are already engaged in and committed to this work. A Founders’ Committee of CEOs who make The Democracy Commitment is being formed, which we think could eventually serve as a national steering committee. They commit a nominal amount to co-fund the start up costs of the initiative, and they name someone to serve on an implementation committee to organize the work.  The initial signatories as of March, 2011 to The Democracy Commitment include:

• Miami Dade College (Fl.)
• LaGuardia (NY)
• Maricopa(Az.)
• Los Rios (Cal.)
• Moraine Valley (Ill.)
• Delta (Mich.)
• Georgia Perimeter (GA)
• Santa Monica(Cal.)
• Riverside(Cal.)
• Broome/SUNY
• Lonestar (Tex.)
• Minneapolis Community and Technical College (Minn.)
• De Anza College (Calif.)

CMO: Why partner with ADP?

BR: Community colleges have already been working with our AASCU colleagues in the ADP. Our community college colleagues have been involved in local ADP civic engagement projects, participated in regional ADP meetings, and presented at national ADP annual meetings. We know and have worked with the ADP national staff. And the lead organizer of our initiative, Brian Murphy from De Anza College, is himself a former AASCU administrator who was instrumental in the start-up of ADP.

The additional reasons for partnering with ADP are strategic. These are difficult times for American higher education, with budget reductions and loss of programs. The idea of starting a new national initiative for community colleges is daunting, especially when so much else needs attention.

We feel we can create a national community college initiative if we create an alliance with an existing national civic engagement initiative: ADP.  Creating an alliance will provide an extended launch process that conserves resources and leverages the power and connections of this highly successful, eight-year-old national effort.

Community colleges have already been working with our AASCU colleagues in the ADP. Our community college colleagues have been involved in local ADP civic engagement projects, participated in regional ADP meetings, and presented at national ADP annual meetings.  We also know and have worked with the ADP national staff.

In addition, community colleges and state colleges and universities are natural partners, with a shared mission of being “Stewards of Place” for the communities we serve.  Indeed, we share more than a common mission; we are “P-20” partners since we share the same students. More than 50% of the students who graduate from AASCU institutions began their college careers at community colleges.

Beyond our existing collaboration and our natural fit, creating an alliance will offer a number of practical advantages as we develop our own initiative. We can share expertise, resources, networks, project ideas, meetings, and a variety of other products and services which would be time-consuming and expensive to begin on our own.

While our long-range focus will always be on creating an independent civic engagement initiative for America’s community colleges, a collaboration with ADP will offer a powerful pathway to our success.

CMO: How will TDC use the ADP National Meeting as a soft-launch?

BR: We plan to use the ADP National Meeting as a pivotal organizing event – our first chance to meet as collaborators and plan how to launch our initiative.  With the encouragement of the ADP organizers, our faculty and staff are welcome to attend any and all conference meetings. Our plan is to have our community college representatives or teams from the group of signatory colleges in The Democracy Commitment integrated seamlessly into the ADP conference, so we can learn from those who have been doing the work.  We also plan to offer a Featured Session at the National Meeting that will explain The Democracy Commitment to ADP participants, and will also host several concurrent sessions highlighting our civic work. At the same time, we will organize a concurrent session track of organizing conversations among community college reps, to explore the best ways we can launch The Democracy Commitment as a true national initiative.

CMO: What do you hope will come out of the work of TDC?

BR: Our hope is nothing less than having all our students leave our colleges with the skills they need to be active and engaged citizens, and having a resurgence of democratic engagement in our communities. An added benefit would be more vigorous collaboration between state colleges and community colleges across America, which would benefit our institutions in other ways beyond civic learning.

CMO: How can community colleges join TDC?

BR: Participation requires a commitment by the college’s CEO.  To join, the CEO needs to visit the TDC website click the “sign up” link. The link will direct you to an online form that you will need to fill out. We are also working to engage our faculty in this initiative from the outset, and numerous Faculty Senates from our participating colleges are adopting resolutions to support The Democracy Commitment, since they view it as an essential feature of the teaching and learning mission of their institutions.

CMO: Any final thoughts or comments for our readers?

BR: I would personally like to express my gratitude to the myriad faculty and instructional leaders that are working on ADP all across this country.  It is your dedication to democracy that has, frankly, inspired us to undertake a companion endeavor in The Democracy Commitment. And we look forward to many years of collaboration in the work of democracy among our faculty and across our institutions, which will redound to the benefit of our students and our communities.

For more information about The Democracy Commitment, please email Bernie Ronan or visit the TDC website.