Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 1 Identifying Relationships Between Co-op/Internship Programs and the Public Good Can We Develop Employee Citizens?

2 Introduction Why this topic? NJCEIA Victoria Nauta, Seton Hall University, NJCEIA, Past President Amy Bravo, Ramapo College of NJ, NJCEIA, President Laszlo Pokorny, Rutgers University, NJCEIA, VP for Communications

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 3 Topics of Discussion Q & A Defining employee citizen Proposed methods for how we can develop employee citizens  Suggestions for practitioners, counselors, programs and institutions.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 4 Q & A 1. Do co-op programs have a responsibility to do more than ensure a student’s employability?

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 5 Yes, otherwise we’d serve as placement agencies. Employability is a reasonable and necessary desired outcome.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 6 So, we turn out educated, employable graduates to join other American workers who spend more hours working than workers in any other industrialized country. And then what?

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 7 Q & A Addressing the tendency to compartmentalize our lives. Do we as practitioners have the responsibility to contribute to broader educational outcomes including the development of actively engaged and socially responsible worker citizens? Is it our responsibility to help them draw the connections between their numerous roles in society?

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 8 Employee Citizen An individual who works under a contract of employment, having rights, duties, privileges and responsibilities as a member belonging to internal and external communities simultaneously.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 9 Taking stock An introspective examination- What are your institution’s goals? Are concepts of civic engagement or social responsibility among your college or university’s goals? Is your program aligned with your institution’s mission? How is your office or program socially responsible? Do we lead by example?

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 10 How to develop employee citizens Program Facilitation Marketing strategies Pedagogy – shaping the co-op /internship academic assignment Civic-minded career development

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 11 Program Facilitation Make a program commitment to develop more socially responsible corporate and community partnerships. Businesses for Social Responsibility – Educators for Social Responsibility – Social Investment Forum – Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility – Physicians for Social Responsibility –

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 12 Program Facilitation cont. Orientation and Reflection Introduce the concept of civic engagement and employee citizenship in orientation.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 13 Program Facilitation cont. Online discourse – blogs, threaded discussions Encourage open dialogue between the student, the co-op/internship practitioners, faculty – All participants! Encourage questions.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 14 Pedagogy Shape the academic assignment to include a guided journal or a research topic where you can guide the learning and possibly address concerns shared by the student.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 15 Pedagogy Co-op Curriculum and Critical Pedagogy Do you think co-op student preparation should include such topics as:  Corporate responsibility (environment, worker rights, profit making)  How to initiate workplace change  Critical analysis of workplace practices  History of worker movements (e.g. union/management struggles) Why or why not? Taken from Nancy Johnston, PhD, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 16 Pedagogy Suggested academic assignments A guided or focus journal Assigned readings Research papers Informational/ professional interviews Oral presentations Critical analysis of workplace practices

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 17 Marketing strategies Work with other schools, departments or programs on campus that have shared goals. Create promotional materials that draw connections between co- op/internships and the public good.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 18 Civic-minded career development Encourage students to begin developing civic skills Encourage participation in civic minded or socially responsible groups and translate that experience to the resume Public good not only in non-profit work Volunteerism

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 19 Research on the impact of volunteerism on civic skills development ‘Does Service Increase Civic Skills?’ Psychology Today, December 2005 ‘Longitudinal Gains in Civic Development through School-Based Required Service’ Political Psychology, 2005 Both studies identify a positive impact of community service on students’ propensity for future civic engagement

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 20 Civic skills Skills required to participate as a responsible citizen “In order for citizens to be capable of fully engaging in civic and political life, they must possess a minimum of civic skills. Civic skills include personal communication skills, knowledge of political systems, and the ability to critically think about civic and political life (Comber 2003).”

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 21 Four dominant categories of civic skills Communication Critical thinking Collective decision-making Organization Dr. Mary Kirlin “The Role of Civic Skills in Fostering Civic Engagement”

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 22 Communication as a civic skill “…communication of our thoughts and actions, both vertically to our leaders and representatives, and horizontally, to our fellow citizens. Speech, argument and persuasive communication are all important elements of democratic literacy.” Batisttoni in Mann and Patrick, 2000 Scholarly Projects and Seminars Student Organizations Courses

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 23 Critical thinking as a civic skill “evaluating, taking, and defending positions on issues” “analyzing and explaining information” “thinking constructively” Patrick 2003 Center for Civic Education Scholarly Projects and Seminars Student Organizations Courses

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 24 Organization and collective decision making as civic skills “listen, judge, discuss, confer and act on concerns” Morse 1993 “planning and implementing” Patrick 2000 Student Organizations Courses

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 25 Identifying on-campus opportunities for students to develop civic skills Student Organizations  New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG)  Fraternities – Alpha Zeta Courses  Corporate Social Responsibility  Public Speaking  Applied Management

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 26 Can we develop employee citizens? Yes. We can begin by developing and strengthening relationships between co-op/internship programs and the public good.

Can We Develop Employee Citizens? 27 Thank you! For more information about NJCEIA, this presentation, or to contact us, go to