1.
Strategies for Deep Civic
Engagement with High Impact
Ariane Hoy & Mathew Johnson, Bonner Foundation
for the AAC&U Personal & Social Responsibility Conference • October 2011
For more information contact ahoy@bonner.org or mjohnson@siena.edu

2.
Current Trends
I have to study 84%
Too busy with other activities 74%
Length and Depth of Involvement
I have to work
47%
60%
I don't know what is available
Barriers to Engagement
Lack of transportation 47%
Not enough energy 44%
Campus Mobilization
Too busy with friends
35%
What I would like to do is not
31%
available
It makes me uncomfortable 18%
14%
Previous bad experience
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Strongly Agree Agree

3.
Change the Trend Lines:
Engaged Learning Through
Strategy 1: Student Leadership:
The Student Experience and
Developmental Model
Strategy 2: Academic Connections:
The High-Impact Curricular
Developmental Model
Strategy 3: Community Capacity:
Research and Evidence-Driven Practice

4.
NASCE Tool n = 8159 respondents
Total n for study= 11,230
Average Age: 21 years
Average GPA: 3.26
8% non-traditional students

5.
Drill Type
Down Frequency
Depth

6.
An Issue:
Students focused on doing short-term service.
How many hours per month do you
engage in community service?
40%
35% 32%
29%
30%
25% 19%
20%
15% 8%
10% 5% 7%
5%
0%
-5
0
0
0
40
0
-1
-2
-3
n4
n0
1-
n6
Be n 11
Be n 21
ha
n3
ee
ee
et
tw
ee
ee
ee
tw
or
tw
tw
tw
Be
Be
M
Be

7.
An Issue:
Students focused on doing short-
term service without much depth.
70
60
50
40
One Shot
30
20
Continuing
10
0
Deep
vic
Ci
r
de
El
One Shot
alt
en
h
m
alt
on
Continuing
He
vir
er
ng
En
Hu
s
es
Deep
ssn
s
ele
iou
m
lig
Ho
th
Re
u
Yo

8.
An Issue:
Students are working.
How many hours per week do you work
at your job or internship?
30% 27%
22%
25% Between 0 and 5
20% 17%
13% 15%
10% Between 5 and 10
15%
10% 5% Between 10 and 20
4%
5% More than 20
0%
Before XYZ At XYZ

9.
An Issue:
College attendance gap.

10.
An Issue:
Students are working and...
I have to study 84%
Too busy with other activities 74%
I have to work 60%
I don't know what is available 47%
Lack of transportation 47%
Not enough energy 44%
35%
Too busy with friends
What I would like to do is not
31%
available
It makes me uncomfortable 18%
14%
Previous bad experience
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

11.
An Issue:
Colleges have maxed out the potential
service mobilization of students... NOT!
Yes: College Yes: High School No: High School
46% 3%
41% Drop
3% Gain
41% 10%
No: College

12.
An Issue:
Students are satisfied with the service opportunities
they have access to at their campus. Not really!
57%
Overall, I am satisfied with my personal level
of involvement in community service here
at ... University.
43%
Are not satisfied.

13.
Structure Matters
I have participated through…
student group 74
service organization 27
sought myself 25
other college entities 25
course 21
organized project 19
led project 18 Structured peer-
service trip 13 group avenues for
sports team 11 engagement lead to
religious group 9 more engagement.

14.
A
Strategy 1: Student Leadership
Element 1: Placements
Element 2: Student Development
Element 3: Integrative Learning
Element 4: Money

15.
A
A solution:
Element 1: Placement
Build developmental,
multi-semester/year,
intensive, team based
placements.

16.
Example:
Democratic Present findings to School Board
Engagement
Organize public forum on school lunch
Policy Research model lunch programs, farm-to-school, obesity
Research
Evaluate student attitudes toward nutrition
Capacity Lead workshops for board, staff, & volunteers
Building
Summer Manage summer program with high school students
Team Help expand to other schools in district
Regular Coach elementary students in School Garden Club
1x Plant School Garden for Orientation

17.
Developmental Service
Excellence
Elevated responsibilities, often
tying to capstone project
Example
Leadership position for site
or program, managing a
team or project
Experience
Commitments to multi-
semester programmatic
role addressing community
need
Exploration
Intentional immersions that
provide exposure and result in
additional commitment

18.
A solution:
Element 2: Student Development
Provide intentional education, training &
reflection activities.

19.
Training Guides:

20.
Education, Training, Reflection
Excellence
Active listening
Social justice
Communication
Vocation & career exploration
Goal setting
Spiritual exploration
Organization
Connection to academic study
Reflection
(capstone/thesis)
Time management
Example
Delegation Leadership of civic engagement
Event planning International perspective
Fundraising Research and deliberative democracy
Grant writing Social justice
Running a meeting Spiritual exploration
Volunteer management
Experience
Balance/boundaries
Analysis of Diversity
Budgeting
Knowledge of poverty
Conflict resolution
Understanding of place
Facilitation
Critical Thinking
Planning
Political dimensions of civic engagement
Teamwork
Explore
Active listening
Knowledge of self
Communication
Knowledge of community
Goal setting
Introduction to Diversity
Organization
Community building
Reflection
Forms of civic engagement
Time management

21.
A solution:
Element 3: Integrative Learning
Cohort-based, key integrative
learning experiences along the
way.

22.
Cornerstone Activities
Senior Presentation
Culminating project and
reflection paper, with public
presentation
Third Year Leadership
Project Often an international service
immersion or campus-wide civic
engagement initiative
Second Year Exchange
Multi-campus event
involving learning, service,
and exposure to political
dimensions
First Year Trip
Cohort immersion into new
place involving service,
reflection, and exposure to
issues in context

23.
A solution:
Element 4: Money
Provide financial
support through
scholarships, work
study, and
stipends.

24.
Integration: Michael Austerlitz
Graduate of Hobart and
William Smith College and
Middlesex County College •
Now enrolled at Cornell’s Public
Led Homelessness
Policy Graduate Program Team at HWS
Research & Issue Brief
on Chronic Homelessness
Elijah’s Promise and
program Bonner
Intern Role
Served at Elijah’s
Promise in NJ

25.
M

26.
Student Impact & Alumni Survey Find...
Co-Curricular is Critical

27.
Student Impact & Alumni Survey Find...
Dialogue Across Difference is most
critical variable

28.
Student Impact & Alumni Survey Find...
Importance and value of structured and
unstructured reflection

29.
Student Impact & Alumni Survey Find...
Importance and value of roles of
Faculty, Partner and Staff Mentors

30.
Student Impact & Alumni Survey Find...
Average Volunteering Rates in the United States Versus Bonner Graduates
60.0
45.0 49.2
42.3 49.2
30.0
26.3
15.0
0
*Average Citizen 26.3% *Average College Graduate 42.3%onner Graduates in Our Sample 49.2%
B
Persistent community & civic
engagement after college

31.
Student Impact & Alumni Survey Find...
Persistent community & civic
engagement after college

32.
Student Impact & Alumni Survey Find...
33% Government/public sector
32% Non profit organization
25% For-profit/Private sector
6% Self employed
Career Choice

33.
What about these elements stand out as
connections or illustrations of high-impact
educational practices? Where do you see
the potential links?

34.
An Issue:
Co-curricular settings
not necessarily
supporting intellectual
and cognitive abilities
(writing, civic
education, poverty
analysis, political
dimensions)

35.
An Issue:
Community partner agencies need:
1. Trained and experienced, higher-level volunteers.
2. With the academic and professional skills to take on
the design, assessment, planning, and other capacity
building activities needed.
3. With the developmental maturity to lead teams,
connect to other agencies, and move towards issue-
based community organizing.

36.
!
Community partner agencies need:

37.
An Issue:
Threat of having a
boutique program
that affects only
relatively few
(60-80) students

38.
An Issue:
Colleges have maxed out the level of service and
community engagement they can mobilize among
students. NOT!
10% of students account for 49% of community service

39.
An Issue:
Keeping service
program at
margins of
institutional value
and support

40.
Strategy 2: Academic Connection
Element 1: Faculty Development
Element 2: Curriculum Development
Element 3: High Impact Practices

41.
A solution:
Element 1: Faculty Development
Moving beyond semester projects:
Connecting faculty to service similarly
intentional, multi-year, developmental
progression.

42.
Tie faculty members in...
Issue/
Public Education
Site Team Networking
Convening,
Speakers, Forums, Students & Social Media,
Dissemination
Faculty Mapping
Advisor
Policy News &
Analysis Capacity
PolicyOptions.org Building
Program, Planning & Tech
Support
Community-
Based
Research & Direct Service
Service-Learning
Ask faculty for multi-year involvement

43.
A solution:
Element 2: Curriculum Development
Structured academic pathways that
integrate academics and service.

44.
Academic Model:
• Intensive
• Multi-Year
• Developmental
• Course
Connections
• Minor,
Certificate,
Concentration

45.
Academic Model:
Capstone
Integrative Seminars
Honors Theses
Research Coursework
CBR / Methodology
Undergraduate Research Projects
Courses with Internship Connections
Full-time Internships
Bridge Coursework
Poverty
Politics
Global
Diversity
Gateway/Lead-In Courses

46.
A solution:
Element 3: High-Impact Practices
All HIPs connect to community
engagement.

47.
Linking High-Impact Practices
Fourth Year
Capstone Placement Capstone / Research
Third Year
International Service Global Learning
Cohort Meetings Undergraduate Research
Second Year
Exchange Cognate Course
Cohort Meetings Learning Community
First Year
Trip Seminar

48.
What do you think are the needs (i.e.,
learning, resources, planning, guidance) of
faculty and staff to effectively integrate
HIPs and civic/community engagement?

49.
An Issue:
Campus-community
partnerships want ways
(beyond anecdotes and
counting hours) to
describe how their
programs are making an
impact

50.
An Issue:
The field is moving to integrate mechanisms
of impact assessment and evidence-based
program models in a climate of scarce
resources

51.
An Issue:
Moving beyond “mission,” and “pedagogy” to
“partnership” and “co-creation of community
solutions.”(Saltmarsh and Hartley)
Technocratic Engagement
Community
Teaching,
Learning,
Researching Teaching,
Learning,
Researching
in/for
Community with
Democratic Engagement

52.
Strategy 3: Community Capacity
Element 1: Partner Development
Element 2: Public Policy
Element 3: Assessment
Element 4: Strategic Planning

53.
A solution:
Element 1: Build Partner Capacity
Model for community partner development
that includes multiple types of
engagement by the institution building
towards deep partnerships that make
democratic engagement the norm.

54.
Partner Developmental Model
Democratic Engagement Engaged
Reciprocal!
Ongoing development & evaluation of
vision, planning, and capacity building
High-impact integration
Established
Co-created strategic vision and plan
Multi-year commitments
Team with multiple positions
Various types of engagement
Emerging
Multi-year agreements and placements
Positions at multiple levels
Exploration of academic connections
Exploratory Technocratic Engagement
Short-term & one-year placements

55.
A solution:
Element 2: Public Policy
Integration of public policy
and program model
research, guided by
community partners
needs, to identify and
spread proven program
models and effective
community solutions.

56.
A solution:
Element 3: Assessment
a. Student mobilization,
b. Student impact
c. Faculty engagement,
d. Non-profit effectiveness,
e. Community capacity-
building and impact.

57.
A solution:
Element 4: Strategic Planning
Integration of evidence and data with
program and institutional strategic
planning.

58.
Where do we collectively go from here?
How can we steer higher education to
maximize its potential as a resource to
communities?