Creating a Campus Climate Supporting Political Learning and Engagement
A collaborative pilot program between the Campus Election Engagement Project and Wisconsin Campus Compact
Over the 2017-2018 school year, the Campus Election Engagement Project and Wisconsin Campus Compact will work with campuses to consider how to bolster political learning and engagement on campuses during the off-election year. Political engagement can include a broad range of “politics as usual” and “politics not as usual” activities including engaging in the electoral process (voting, campaigning, running for office, serving as a public official, collective activism (community organizing, mobilizing others to address a public problem), advocating (writing and publishing commentary, speaking publicly), and convening (organizing dialogues facilitate change, hosting issue forums). Political engagement can happen with or without government involvement. We explicitly define political learning and engagement to include understanding and addressing the dynamics and effects of systems, structures, and power, specifically political (political parties, groups), economic (socio-economic status, democracy and capitalism), and social (the role of identity in public decision making, etc.).
Campuses will compile teams and participate in monthly webinars and group feedback sessions to assess their institution’s campus climate regarding its friendliness toward political learning and engagement activities. Teams will conduct an abbreviated self-assessment about what on-campus factors matter most that support engagement. Each month, campus teams will have activities that move them toward creating a plan they can begin implementing the Spring of 2018 and into the 2018-2019 school year. To participate please fill out this interest form.
Guest Facilitator: Nancy Thomas, Tufts University
Proposed Timeline and Activities
July-August
- We’re looking to work with a set of campuses in every CEEP-supported state (3-5 campuses) to improve democratic learning and engagement. A campus should indicate their interest by submitting information about who on their team will participate in this pilot effort. Ideally campus teams would include chief academic affairs officers, chief student affairs officers, campus vote committee representatives, and students. However, teams can include only one or two members as well.
September 12th, 3 pm EST – Webinar #1
- Celebratory launch – “We have 1 year to get ready for the next election! This is a teachable moment for our campuses! You have the opportunity to shape culture”
- Explain research about campus climate, methods
- Materials needed: Packet of information about current research.
- Task: Complete checklist of campus climate: Collect info on diversity / political engagement data and studies, were there major issues on campus regarding political tensions / hate crimes, etc. This checklist helps teams investigate what’s happening on their campuses
October 10th, 3 pm EST – Webinar # 2
- Reporting out about the checklists
- Speaker presents findings about campus climate inhibitors for political engagement
- Materials needed: Self-assessment / reflection tool
- Task: Reflection on their campus climate – Introduce abbreviated self-assessment
November 14th, 3 pm EST– Webinar # 3
- Review self-assessment / reflection tool
- Starting to develop aspects of the plan and strategies for buy-in
- Speaker covers different strategies to improve the various areas of campus climate
- Identified the area of campus climate they want to tackle
- Materials needed: Guide for improving campus climate
- Task: Create implementation plan
February 13th, 3 pm EST – Webinar # 4
- Sharing implementation plan with the group
- Getting feedback
- Continue the celebration!
- Task: Continue implementation plan
March 13th, 3 pm EST– Webinar # 5
- Peer learning and feedback
March – In-person meeting at Campus Compact national conference (Indianapolis)- Optional
- Professional development check-in
- Debrief about what’s come up
April 10th, 3 pm EST– Measuring Impact
- Sustainability plans
- Celebratory close-out
- Final debrief
- Evaluations
Info sheet (updated 7.19.17) CEEPCampusClimateWebinars