Civic Engagement
Thoughts & Reflections
Dick Senese
Associate Dean, Community Vitality
University of Minnesota Extension Service
RCCI Institute  Fort Worth, TX  April 5, 2006

Why is it important?
“The complexity of modern life…means that in our communities, our nations and our world, nobody can possibly know enough to be in general charge of anything important or interesting.”
Nobody in Charge (2002)
Harlan Cleveland

Tides affecting communities
• Globalization of the economy & worldviews
• Demographic changes
• Technological changes

Devolution
• Communities asked to address complex issues for themselves
• Requires a re-commitment to democracy
• An engaged civic infrastructure built on inclusive processes serves an executive function

One tree does not make a forest.
No matter how big it is.
Saying from Cameroon

Civic Engagement in RCCI
Engage with entire community to proactively develop and offer educational programs and services

RCCI Model of Civic Engagement
The Community
Community &
Tribal Colleges
Extension Services

Civic Engagement in RCCI
• We develop and do
– Literacy programs
– Economic development programs
– Leadership development programs
– Facilitating community dialogues
– Community surveys and research
Huge variety of projects – confusing

Civic Engagement in RCCI
• To plant, nurture & grow
– Bridging social capital
– Self efficacy
– Community efficacy
Short-term outcomes

Civic Engagement in RCCI
• In order to strengthen
– Social and civic infrastructure
– Community leadership network
– One to seven of the community capitals
Longer-term outcomes

Civic Engagement in RCCI
• Because then
– The odds are better for the community’s future
– A stronger more vital community, ready to envision and lead to its future
Ultimate impact
Unfunded mandate of community colleges

WOW!!
Let’s Celebrate
Success Stories
Best Practices
And go home…we have it down

Just what the heck is it?
• A characteristic of processes used within a community of place, identity and/or interest
• Description of how organizations work
• Paradigm for understanding scholarship
• Individual and collective action designed to identify and address issues of public concern

Just what the heck is it?
Can be at any level of ecological model
1. Individual
2. Interpersonal
3. Groups & Organizations
4. Community

Just what the heck is it?
• Is it a way of achieving outcomes and impacts in educational action?
• Is it an outcome and impact in and of itself?
In many ways, it must be both

First-order engagement factors
– Engagement as an activity toward some other goal
– Success is related to these activities – educational access or economic development or housing or whatever

Second-order engagement factors
– Engagement is the thing
– Success is related to the engagement process and infrastructures supporting it
– Can lead to inclusiveness and sustainability of effort

What’s our growth edge?
1. Develop clear models for understanding civic engagement
2. Create models for change mechanisms
(social, political, psychological, & cultural factors)
3. Develop and evaluate interventions
(qualitative & quantitative – embrace failure and success)
4. Build & disseminate effective models

Know yourself.
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
Ann Landers
American advice columnist

Self Discovery
Relationship among community colleges, tribal colleges, & 1862 land-grant universities
– Competitors
– Cooperators
– Collaborators
Isn’t it all three?
Can we live with that?

What’s our growth edge?
RCCI opportunity for higher education systems to develop cooperative and collaborative relationships

Development
Fairly orderly for individuals, families, groups, organizations and collaborations

Development
Rule 1 – Have to be dependent before independent
We’ve all been warmed by fires we didn’t build and eaten of banquets we’ve not prepared

Development
Rule 2 – Have to be independent before interdependent
To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.
Polonius
Hamlet
Act I, Scene III

Bonding Social Capital
New national networks and support have emerged within:
Rural community colleges
Extension partnership
BUT we need to know our niche what it is and isn’t

Development
Rule 3 – Have to be interdependent for true sustainable collaboration
America is nothing if it consists of each of us. It is something only if it consists of all of us.
Woodrow Wilson
28th President of the United States

Social Capital in Higher Ed

Civic Engagement in Higher Ed
Mutually influencing process that changes community dynamics vision & mission of higher education institutions
In relation to communities served & co-created each other

Challenge – Act where you stand
We can commit to sustaining collaboration within higher education or not.
We did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
Chief Seattle
Suquamish tribal leader

Will Rogers
American humorist

Civic Engagement
Questions & Reactions
Dick Senese
Associate Dean, Community Vitality
University of Minnesota Extension Service
RCCI Institute  Fort Worth, TX  April 5, 2006