Sl_highered. NSSE Annual Results. NSSE_2010_AnnualResults. News: Combining First-Year Engagement and Civic Engagement. For experts on the undergraduate curriculum and student life, two areas of focus in recent years have been the first-year experience and civic engagement. While frequently talked about in separate conversations, speakers at the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities Saturday said that combining these two efforts made them both more successful. And by successful, they stressed that they weren't just talking about economies of scale, but mission. Martha LaBare, associate professor of English at Bloomfield College, in New Jersey, said that it is too easy for freshman programs to turn into "watching the bottom line" by focusing just on keeping the bodies enrolled (and presumably paying tuition). The civic engagement piece makes these programs about more than retention -- but about learning, too, she said.
The afternoon time each day is spent in a series of more hands-on activities. Other programs discussed are designed in different ways. Democracy, Civic Participation, and the University: A Comparative Study of Civic Engagement on Five Campuses. Is_Service-Learning_Effective. Asthow. 2009_CC_Annual_Survey_Exec_Summary. Bibliography_of_Civic_Engagement. Learn and Serve America. Every day, college students help their communities in a variety of ways, from tutoring and mentoring children, to raising funds for worthy causes, to helping families recover from hurricanes and other disasters. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the nation has witnessed a significant upsurge in volunteering by college students. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is committed to building on this momentum and supporting a culture of service on college campuses.
Each year, we invest more than $150 million in expanding service-learning and campus volunteering through grants; Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards; and research, recognition, and other initiatives. CNCS is working with other federal agencies, colleges and universities, higher education and student associations, and nonprofit organizations to encourage even greater levels of college student volunteering and to ensure that college graduates embark on a lifetime of service.