NEASC Annual Meeting December 4-6, 2013 Philip J. Sisson Provost/VP of Academic and Student Affairs Middlesex Community College M EASURING C IVIC E NGAGEMENT

MCC F AST F ACTS Two Campuses – Bedford and Lowell Majors: 75 degree and certificate programs Full-time Faculty: 125 Part-time Faculty: 460 Average Class Size: 21 Total enrollment: 13,267 –Full-time Enrollment: (12 credits per semester): 5,307 (44%) –Female: 7,651 (58%) –Male:5,616 (42%)

S OCIAL R ESPONSIBILITY R UBRIC The MCC graduate will demonstrate Social Responsibility within the college community with: I.Multicultural and Diversity Awareness  Student demonstrates involvement with people different from him/herself  Student acknowledges the presence of different viewpoints  Student recognizes own identity and culture and appreciates other cultures  Student articulates impact of a diverse society II.Ethics, Values and Social Justice  Student recognizes injustice and discrimination  Student demonstrates the ability to make decisions based on ethical and moral reasoning III.Citizenship and Civic Engagement  Student demonstrates an understanding of the value of citizenship  Student recognizes that s/he belongs to a community and demonstrates awareness of the community’s needs  Student engages in service to others  Student demonstrates understanding of how social change is achieved in a democratic system

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T HE V ISION P ROJECT – A P UBLIC A GENDA FOR H IGHER E DUCATION IN M ASSACHUSETTS Key Outcomes 1.College Participation Raising the percentage of high school graduates going to college—and the readiness of these students for college-level work. 2.College Completion Increasing the percentage of students who complete degree and certificate programs. 3.Student Learning Achieving higher levels of student learning through better assessment and more extensive use of assessment results. 4.Workforce Alignment Aligning occupationally oriented degree and certificate programs with the needs of statewide, regional and local employers. 5.Preparing Citizens Providing students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be active, informed citizens. 6.Closing Achievement Gaps Closing achievement gaps among students from different ethnic, racial and income groups in all areas of educational progress. 7.Research Conducting research that drives economic development. Time to Lead: The Need for Excellence in Public Higher Education, September 2012

Institutional Culture/Shared Responsibility for Civic Engagement Committed Leadership – Institution/System Strong Collaboration – Academic and Student Affairs Organizational Structure/Support Use Internal and External Resources Transition from “Inputs” to “Outcomes” Focus On-Going Faculty Development – Assignment Design Shared Commitment to Assessment/Improvement

S ELECTED R ESOURCES /R EFERENCES ACPA and NASPA Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience. Washington, DC: ACPA and NASPA. Clayton-Pedersen, Alma R., Sharon Parker, Daryl G. Smith, José F. Moreno, and Daniel Hiroyuki Teraguchi Making a Real Difference with Diversity: A Guide to Institutional Change. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. Colby, Anne, Elizabeth Beaumont, Thomas Ehrlich, and Josh Corngold Educating for Democracy: Preparing Undergraduates for Responsible Political Engagement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Jacoby, Barbara Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Kanter, Martha J., and Carol Geary Schneider “Civic Learning and Engagement.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 45 (1): 6–14. Kuh, George D High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. NASPA. N.d. “NASPA’s Lead Initiative on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement.” National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and America’s Promise College Learning for the New Global Century. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

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Capstone 4 Milestones 32 Benchmark 1 Connections to Experience Connects relevant experience and academic knowledge Meaningfully synthesizes connections among experiences outside of the formal classroom (including life experiences and academic experiences such as internships and travel abroad) to deepen understanding of fields of study and to broaden own points of view. Effectively selects and develops examples of life experiences, drawn from a variety of contexts (e.g., family life, artistic participation, civic involvement, work experience), to illuminate concepts/theories/frameworks of fields of study. Compares life experiences and academic knowledge to infer differences, as well as similarities, and acknowledge perspectives other than own. Identifies connections between life experiences and those academic texts and ideas perceived as similar and related to own interests. Transfer Adapts and applies skills, abilities, theories, or methodologies gained in one situation to new situations Adapts and applies, independently, skills, abilities, theories, or methodologies gained in one situation to new situations to solve difficult problems or explore complex issues in original ways. Adapts and applies skills, abilities, theories, or methodologies gained in one situation to new situations to solve problems or explore issues. Uses skills, abilities, theories, or methodologies gained in one situation in a new situation to contribute to understanding of problems or issues. Uses, in a basic way, skills, abilities, theories, or methodologies gained in one situation in a new situation. Integrated Communication Fulfills the assignment(s) by choosing a format, language, or graph (or other visual representation) in ways that enhance meaning, making clear the interdependence of language and meaning, thought, and expression. Fulfills the assignment(s) by choosing a format, language, or graph (or other visual representation) to explicitly connect content and form, demonstrating awareness of purpose and audience. Fulfills the assignment(s) by choosing a format, language, or graph (or other visual representation) that connects in a basic way what is being communicated (content) with how it is said (form). Fulfills the assignment(s) (i.e. to produce an essay, a poster, a video, a PowerPoint presentation, etc.) in an appropriate form. UMass/Lowell - Integrative Learning and Community Engagement Rubric Appendix F

Capstone 4 Milestones 32 Benchmark 1 Reflection and Self- Assessment Demonstrates a developing sense of self as a learner, building on prior experiences to respond to new and challenging contexts Envisions a future self (and possibly makes plans that build on past experiences that have occurred across multiple and diverse contexts). Evaluates changes in own learning over time, recognizing complex contextual factors (e.g., works with ambiguity and risk, deals with frustration, considers ethical frameworks). Articulates strengths and challenges (within specific performances or events) to increase effectiveness in different contexts (through increased self-awareness). Describes own performances with general descriptors of success and failure. Civic Identity and Commitment Provides evidence of experience in civic-engagement activities and describes what she/he has learned about her or himself as it relates to a reinforced and clarified sense of civic identity and continued commitment to public action. Provides evidence of experience in civic-engagement activities and describes what she/he has learned about her or himself as it relates to a growing sense of civic identity and commitment. Evidence suggests involvement in civic-engagement activities is generated from expectations or course requirements rather than from a sense of civic identity. Provides little evidence of her/his experience in civic- engagement activities and does not connect experiences to civic identity. Civic Contexts/ Structures Demonstrates ability and commitment to collaboratively work across and within community contexts and structures to achieve a civic aim. Demonstrates ability and commitment to work actively within community contexts and structures to achieve a civic aim. Demonstrates experience identifying intentional ways to participate in civic contexts and structures. Experiments with civic contexts and structures, tries out a few to see what fits. Appendix F

Goal: To Prepare Individuals for the Role of Citizenship: Engaging students in the knowledge, skills, and values they need to contribute as active and informed members of a democratic society in order to promote the growth of healthy communities, global economic vitality, social justice and the common good Each objective can be measured by a number of learning outcomes listed below. This rubric should be used to access students’ civic learning and engagement, including program learning outcomes. Objective 1: Civic and Democratic Knowledge: Foster the knowledge students need to assume the roles and responsibilities of citizenship through formal curricula, co-curricular activity, and community engagement Objective 2: Civic and Democratic Skills: Foster the development of the personal and life skills students need to become responsible citizens and active participants in democratic life Objective 3: Civic and Democratic Values: Engage students in opportunities to clarify and further develop personal civic and democratic values Objective 4: Civic and Democratic Action: Involve students with experiences in civic action to foster engagement in the practice of democracy Outcomes Familiarity with key democratic texts and universal democratic principles, and with selected debates—in US and other societies—concerning their applications Ability to seek, engage, and be informed by multiple perspectivesRespect for freedom and human dignity Integration of knowledge, skills, and examined values to challenge injustice and address its root causes Historical and sociological understanding of several democratic and social movements for change, both US and abroad Ability to use scientific reasoning to understand social issues Capacity for empathy, open-mindedness, tolerance, and appreciation for diversity Capacity and commitment to work collectively with diverse others to address common problems Understanding one’s sources of identity and their influence on civic values, assumptions, and responsibilities to a wider public Ability to use critical inquiry and quantitative reasoning to identify a problem, research solutions, analyze results, evaluate choices, and make decisions Commitment to justice and equality Practice of working in a pluralistic society and world to improve the quality of people’s lives and the sustainability of the planet Knowledge of the diverse cultures, histories, values, and contestations that have shaped US and other world societies Ability to read, write, speak, listen, and use communication media effectively Commitment to ethical integrity Ability to analyze and navigate systems (political, social, economic) in order to plan and engage in public action Knowledge of multiple religious traditions and alternative views about the relation between religion and government Ability to effectively work in groups to deliberate and build bridges across differences in order to reach collaborative decisions Capacity for compromise, civility, and mutual respect Moral and political courage to take risks to achieve a greater public good Knowledge of the political systems that frame constitutional democracies and of political levers for influencing change Ability to reflect on experience to gain insight and guide actionResponsibility to a larger good Knowledge of rights and responsibilities of the individual citizen within wider community Ability to assume leadership and followership roles that best support democracy and civic life Appendix B: Massachusetts Civic Learning and Engagement Assessment Framework (Massachusetts Vision Project Frameworks for Civic Learning) Appendix H