WHAT IS THE MISSION OF ADP?
The American Democracy Project is a multi-campus initiative that seeks to create an intellectual and experiential understanding of civic engagement for undergraduates enrolled at institutions that are members of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). The goal of the project is to produce graduates who understand and are committed to engaging in meaningful actions as citizens in a democracy.

WHAT IS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT?
This project uses the definition of civic engagement proposed by Thomas Ehrlich and his colleagues in "Civic Responsibility and Higher Education":
 

"Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes. " (preface, page vi)

"A morally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own, such an individual is willing to see the moral and civic dimensions of issues, to make and justify informed moral and civic judgments, and to take action when appropriate. " (Introduction, page xxvi).

 
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF ADP?

The project seeks to
1.	create a national conversation among many campuses about the theory and practice of civic engagement;
2.	develop institutional commitment by involving senior administrators, faculty, staff and students; by addressing core institutional mission and purpose; and by focusing on civic engagement as a learning outcome for undergraduates;
3.	initiate new projects, courses and teaching strategies, extracurricular programs, and other programs to increase civic engagement, supported by the national project office;
4.	measure the civic engagement outcomes of undergraduates on participating campuses, and assess the impact of this project in contributing to greater civic engagement outcomes; and;
5.	disseminate the resulting models that result to a wide audience of higher education institutions, individuals, and policy-makers.

The project initially will involve 144 member campuses of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), representing more than 1.3 million students. The national project is directed by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities; a project co-director comes from The New York Times. Direction and support comes from a group of presidents and chancellors that serve on the AASCU Committee on the Undergraduate Experience; operational guidance comes from a group of chief academic officers who serve as the Implementation Committee. The project is assisted by a number of colleagues who work in civic engagement and related fields who serve on an Advisory Committee.

WHAT DOES ADP LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?
SUNY Geneseo

• Recently held a "Civic Engagement Week" featuring guest speakers; presentations on the rights of volunteers; dialogues on hate speech; a lecture from Dr. Harry Boyte on "Engaging in Everyday Politics."

SUNY Brockport

• Each freshman student participates in a Summer Reading Program. This year the reading project tied in with the ADP by using  Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickeld and Dimed."

Indiana University at South Bend

• Features an ever-changing and current Website on civic engagement and ADP.
   

• Some recent events included a radio essay on how staying involved in society doesn't have to end at the election, a statehouse trip where fellow students, faculty members and friends of IV South Bend lobby legislators for higher education funding, and a research series in the library on volunteerism.

Bloomsburg University of PA

• President Jessica Kozloff published an article in the University's magazine about the school's involvement in the ADP.
   

• American Democracy Project and Democracy Matters, along with the university's Frederick Douglass Institute sponsored the All-Day Dialogue on Democracy Monday, April 19. The event included a faculty debate on the U.S. Constitution, meetings with elected officials and a keynote address by Donna Brazile, chair of the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute.
   

• The month of February was devoted to Democracy Matters' Voter Virgin Campaign. During the campaign, more than 400 new voters registered on campus.

HOW WILL THE GOALS OF THE ADP BE PRACTICED AT SUNY COLLEGE AT ONEONTA?
We need your ideas to bring civic engagement into college life; in academic coursework and in the lives of students, staff and faculty within their communities, and in the larger world.

One of the new projects that ADP is taking on is The Making a Difference (MAD) residential living space. This floor will be called the MAD floor. These students will be those who are interested in civic engagement through volunteering or political involvement. This group of students will do at least four service projects, two each semester. This floor will tie in to the college mission statement, “…environment rich in opportunities for participation, personal challenge and service.” Students from MAD will be impacting the local community and the campus. MAD will have an open membership. Linda Drake and Duane Ritter will be co-advisors for the MAD living space.

For more information, contact Linda Drake at CSRC.

Linda Drake
101C Alumni Hall
ext. 2633
DRAKELM@oneonta.edu