The Office of Volunteer Resources and Community-based Learning “The Ethics of Civic Engagement” Civic Engagement” and

What do we do?  Facilitate info transfer between SU and Central TX  Assist students in finding opportunities  Assist clubs in finding opportunities  Assist faculty in constructing community-based learning curricula  Assist community partners in making SU connections

Our Big Goal:  Raise awareness and improve civic engagement between members of Southwestern and the Central TX community.

What’s the Difference?  Volunteerism: – –The willingness of people to work on behalf of others without the expectation of pay or other tangible gain.  Service: – Work done by one person or group that benefits another.

What’s the difference?  Community-based Learning: -A pedagogy by which participants apply their learning through active participation in reciprocal relationships that are conducted in and meet the needs of a community.

What’s the difference?  Civic Engagement: -Refers to a wide range of learning activities on the part of the institution, including engaged experiential education, community-based learning (curricular), internships and practica, and action research that engages in partnership with civic contexts, ie, the communities in which it is located.

What does this mean to you?  You will encounter all levels of volunteerism and/or civic engagement opportunities as an individual, in groups and in classes at SU.  Let’s talk about the ethics of civic engagement because you’re contribution matters.

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  Choice –You have one.  Commitment –You need one.  Change –You want one.

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  CHOICE: –Make the mandatory meaningful –Match up your skills with their needs –Match up your needs with their skills –Make an honest assessment about goals –If it’s not mandatory, no one is forcing you –DON’T choose something out of guilt!

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  COMMITMENT -If you signed up, show up -If you signed up, show up -You never know what could happen! -You never know what could happen! -If you flake, people get frustrated -If you flake, people get frustrated  Projects can fail  Relationships can be damaged  Your actions reflect on your organization and Southwestern

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  CHANGE –Civic engagement at its highest level is rooted in RECIPROCITY and CHANGE –Both parties should be giving and getting –Both parties should come out for the better –If there’s no reciprocity or change, maybe a different kind of engagement is needed

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  Unethical Civic Engagement: a REAL story –Project failure –Relationships damaged –Organization given bad reputation among community partners –No reciprocity, no change

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  Ethical civic engagement: a REAL story –Community has a need –Student has a need –Commitment from both sides –Project more successful than original goals intended –Strengthened relationships –Reciprocity AND change

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  FINAL THOUGHTS: –Quality over quantity  Fewer people more committed  Commit to fewer partners but work multi-level  Think long-term relationships  Doing a little bit with excellence is more helpful than doing a lot badly

The Ethics of Civic Engagement  FINAL THOUGHTS: –Don’t forget about WHY  Our culture and how we think about community service  “checking off the box” may allow us to forget about systemic issues  Once you’ve considered why, then think how: mandating times, dates and people is problematic  Its difficult to engage the community if you don’t know wants and needs

CONTACT  Aryn Campbell –X1215 –Mood 338  Suzy Pukys –X1987 –Mood 305