|
|||||
 | |||||
|
Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 9/27/07 |
|
|
In
the News Archive - Year:
June 10, 2004 Wisconsin Campus Compact brings campus and community together The statewide program supports civic engagement By Sonja G. Ostrow
Just try telling that one to University of Wisconsin-Green Bay chancellor Bruce Shepard. As a board member of Wisconsin Campus Compact, Shepard has seen first hand how eager students and faculty are to forge connections with their surrounding communities.
WiCC is a coalition of 30 colleges and universities in the state. It seeks to strengthen civic purpose and promote community service by students and faculty. Founded in 2002, it is part of the larger national network of institutions known as Campus Compact.
Tom Schnaubelt, the executive director of WiCC, said WiCC supports civic engagement initiatives in three ways. First, it provides monetary grants for faculty and students. Second, it offers a variety of faculty development activities, such as workshops on how to connect academic courses to community initiatives. Finally, WiCC offers civic leadership programs for students.
Research shows students today are more involved in community service than ever before. But it has also been found that they are much less likely to speak out on public policy or other topical issues.
In an attempt to build leadership through service, "Campus Compact is trying to build on that interest in service to motivate them to make more systemic changes. ... We're trying to get students to look at larger public issues in larger public ways," Schnaubelt said.
According to Shepard, this approach coincides perfectly with UWGB's educational philosophy. "We've always promoted a hands-on, practical, problem-solving approach," he said.
Although WiCC is still in the developing stages, UWGB students and faculty have already enjoyed some of its benefits.
Denise Scheberle, Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, received a Campus Compact grant for a forum held by students in her Public and Non-profit Management course.
The forum, titled The Phoenix Forum: Understanding Citizenship Issues, consisted of a number of student-led dialogue sessions on topics like voting behavior, patriotism, diversity and America's role in the world.
After the forum, Scheberle said, nearly all of the 100 participants "said they had gained a better understanding of new views ... and most students said they wanted more such events lasting for longer periods of time."
Scheberle hopes to assign a similar project for her fall semester class. And regardless of whether she again requests WiCC funding, she said, "I hope our connections with Campus Compact remain very strong, because I believe it's vitally important for the university to participate in the community at a civic level, and it's important for students and faculty to be involved in the communiversity part of the campus."
Bruce Shepard agrees.
"I would like to see every one of our students undertake a project engaging with the community before they graduate," he said.
| |
