Civic Education and Engagement and Civil Discourse Fellows

SUNY is committed to civic engagement as an essential outcome of higher education. As part of this commitment, ten faculty and staff from SUNY campuses were selected as Civic Education and Engagement and Civil Discourse Fellows in March 2024.

The Fellows are working to:

Gather and amplify civic engagement resources for faculty to use when developing content to meet general education requirements
Provide civic engagement professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff
Participate in a working group to make recommendations for a new core competency in the SUNY General Education Framework
Coordinate with campus student government representatives on civic engagement activities
Develop a community of practice focused on civic engagement
Contribute to a civic education convening to showcase SUNY activities
Inform a civic engagement strategic plan

The work of the Fellows is part of a broader set of actions announced in June 2024 by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. to advance SUNY's commitment to increase civic education, civil discourse, and civic awareness and participation across SUNY campuses.

Meet the Fellows

Join the Mailing List

Information Request

Events

SUNY Civic Learning and Civic Engagement Fall 2024 Online Series

This series offers opportunities to learn about and discuss issues related to civic learning and engagement. Developed and presented by the SUNY Civic Education and Engagement and Civil Discourse Fellows, these events are aimed at faculty, staff, and students with the goal of connecting people across disciplines and institutions.

For more information and registration details, visit the SUNY Center for Professional Development.

Resources for Campuses

The resources provided below are intended to assist campuses in this critical and complex work. To suggest a resource to be added to this list or to offer feedback about an identified resource, please fill out the Resource Idea Form.

Curriculum, Teaching, Programming, and Assessment

Resources in U.S. History and Civic Engagement

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation	The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation is to teach college students about democracy through engagement with the state legislative process.	Brandeis University	https://www.brandeis.edu/enact/
AAC&U Civic Engagement VALUE Rubrics	The VALUE rubrics were developed by teams of faculty experts representing colleges and universities across the United States through a process that examined many existing campus rubrics and related documents for each learning outcome and incorporated additional feedback from faculty. The rubrics articulate fundamental criteria for each learning outcome, with performance descriptors demonstrating progressively more sophisticated levels of attainment. The rubrics are intended for institutional-level use in evaluating and discussing student learning, not for grading. The core expectations articulated in all 16 of the VALUE rubrics can and should be translated into the language of individual campuses, disciplines, and even courses. The utility of the VALUE rubrics is to position learning at all undergraduate levels within a basic framework of expectations such that evidence of learning can by shared nationally through a common dialog and understanding of student success.	American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU)	https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/value-initiative/value-rubrics/value-rubrics-civic-engagement
Core Competencies in Civic Engagement	This working paper considers what core competencies for civic engagement could be in academic major, minor, and certificate programs. The findings of this working paper suggest categorizing the core competencies as civic knowledge, civic skills, civic practice, and civic inclinations. In addition to providing an outline of these core competencies, the paper also presents mini case studies on how other campuses and programs are implementing civic engagement competencies and measures.	Center for Engaged Democracy	https://citizensandscholars.org/resource/core-competencies-in-civic-engagement/
AAC&U VALUE Rubrics - Intercultural Knowledge and Competence	The VALUE rubrics were developed by teams of faculty experts representing colleges and universities across the United States through a process that examined many existing campus rubrics and related documents for each learning outcome and incorporated additional feedback from faculty. The rubrics articulate fundamental criteria for each learning outcome, with performance descriptors demonstrating progressively more sophisticated levels of attainment. The rubrics are intended for institutional-level use in evaluating and discussing student learning, not for grading. The core expectations articulated in all 16 of the VALUE rubrics can and should be translated into the language of individual campuses, disciplines, and even courses. The utility of the VALUE rubrics is to position learning at all undergraduate levels within a basic framework of expectations such that evidence of learning can by shared nationally through a common dialog and understanding of student success.	American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU)	https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/value-initiative/value-rubrics/value-rubrics-intercultural-knowledge-and-competence
Assessing the Civic Campus	AASCU and Ithaka S+R partner on an important research project focused on the link between higher education, civic engagement, and democratic attitudes and behaviors.	AASCU	https://aascu.org/resources/assessing-the-civic-campus/
CLDE by Design	A resource for helping educators incorporate civic learning and democracy engagement into Gen Ed programs, "while making equity and inclusion top priorities."	College Civic Learning	https://www.collegeciviclearning.org/
Buffalo State Faculty Civic and Community Engagement Resource Guide	Civic & Community Engagement guide contains information for Buffalo State faculty interested in integrating community engagement into their teaching and research.	SUNY Buffalo State University	https://library.buffalostate.edu/cce

Resources in Civil Discourse

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
Card Game	Fuse cards are a series of conversational prompts. They are based on three principles: listen, learn, acknowledge. If you're looking for a way to talk about difficult subjects in a simple, structured way, these cards can help.	Fuse	https://www.fusecampaign.org/card-game
Deliberative Dialogue Discussions	Project Pericles offers a framework for connecting course content to a real-world policy, and for facilitating a deliberative dialogue discussion where students explore their stance on a critical civic issue.	Project Pericles	https://www.projectpericles.org/deliberative-dialogue.html
Guidelines for Successful Deliberation	Guidelines for Successful Deliberation (pdf)	University of Pittsburgh	https://www.comm.pitt.edu/guidelines-successful-deliberation
Setting Ground Rules - Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions	Setting Ground Rules - Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions Use these ground rules and the examples written by other students to develop your own norms of civil discourse.	United States Courts	https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/setting-ground-rules-civil-discourse-and-difficult
The Civil Dialogue Project at SUNY Binghamton	The Civil Dialogue Project at SUNY Binghamton fosters respectful and challenging conversations to help students responsibly engage and better understand themselves, each other and their community.	CIVIL DIALOGUE PROJECT	https://www.binghamton.edu/cce/civildialogue.html
Binghamton’s Civil Dialogue Program	Binghamton’s Civil Dialogue Program	Binghamton University	https://www.binghamton.edu/offices/success/first-year-students/common-read/index.html
Charles F. Kettering Foundation	"The Kettering Foundation advances inclusive democracies by empowering people with the knowledge and tools to build and preserve resilient democratic systems ..." Approach: Research, Narrative Making, Communication, Innovation, Partnerships, Strategic Direction." Goals are to "promote democratic principles and values and counter attacks on democracy."	Charles F. Kettering Foundation	https://www.kettering.org/
Constructive Dialogue Institute	At the Constructive Dialogue Institute, we are on an ambitious journey to repair our civic culture by spreading the practices of curiosity, critical thinking, and constructive dialogue, across our nation’s education systems and workplaces. We develop research-based educational tools, resources, and frameworks to equip schools, universities, and workplaces with a shared language and practical set of skills to build inclusive cultures and engage constructively across differences.	Constructive Dialogue Institute	https://constructivedialogue.org/
Resources and Readings: Supporting Students and Fostering Civic Dialogue	Find resources here to help support student safety and free speech and foster dialogue so that we can continue to listen, learn, act, and support one another during such difficult times.	Campus Compact	https://compact.org/news/resources-and-readings-supporting-students-and-fostering-civic-dialogue
National Issues Forum	National Issues Forums (NIF) is a network of civic, educational, and other organizations, and individuals, whose common interest is to promote public deliberation in America. ... NIF does not advocate specific solutions or points of view ...	NIFI	https://www.nifi.org/
Try to Love the Questions: From Debate to Dialogue in Classrooms and Life	Try to Love the Questions gives college students a framework for understanding and practicing dialogue across difference in and out of the classroom.	(blank)	https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691239996/try-to-love-the-questions

Student Activities

Co-curricular programs

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
Many Voices, One Call Podcast	Many Voices, One Call Podcast	Schenectady County Community College	https://sunysccc.edu/About-Us/Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion/podcast.html
BridgeUSA.	BridgeUSA is a multi-partisan student movement that champions viewpoint diversity, responsible discourse, and a solution-oriented political culture. We are developing a generation of leaders that value empathy and constructive engagement because our generation will bear the cost of polarization and tribalism for years to come.	BridgeUSA.	https://www.bridgeusa.org/
Campus Compact	Campus Compact is a national nonprofit organization ... dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement." "Campus Compact takes a comprehensive approach to supporting member institutions—helping them build the knowledge, skills, and capacity needed to enable a just, equitable, and sustainable future." "Campus Compact advances the public purposes of colleges and universities by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility." Features Community College Network, Fellowship opps for students in member organizations, and more	Campus Compact	https://compact.org/
Center for Leadership and Service	The Center for Leadership and Service is committed to elevating the leadership competence of the UAlbany community by providing professional quality leader development programs utilizing evidence-based approaches, which result in measurable impacts. We also promote servant leadership to inspire students, faculty and staff to give back to our local community and gain important life and leadership skills, while promoting awareness of community needs and engaging our campus community in meaningful action. The Center also manages the UAlbany Votes initiative.	Center for Leadership and Service	https://www.albany.edu/center-leadership-service
Heterodox Academy	"non-profit advocacy group of academics working to counteract what they see as a lack of viewpoint diversity on college campuses, especially political diversity. The organization was founded in 2015 by Jonathan Haidt, Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, and Chris C. Martin." (Wikipedia)	Heterodox Academy	https://heterodoxacademy.org/
UnifyAmerica	Unify America creates interactive experiences to help people bust out of their bubbles, build civic muscles, and work together to tackle our country’s biggest challenges.	UnifyAmerica	https://www.unifyamerica.org/

Voter registration, education, and engagement

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) \| National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement	(NSLVE) offers colleges and universities an opportunity to learn their student registration and voting rates.	Tufts University	https://idhe.tufts.edu/nslve
MotiVote	Motivote is a gamified digital resource that uses behavioral science to help you get ready to vote and build civic habits.	Motivote	https://www.motivote.us/
Campus Election Engagement Project	The mission of Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) is to help America’s colleges and universities engage students in federal, state and local elections, creating a pattern of life-long civic and voting participation.	Civic Influencers	https://civicinfluencers.org/
Incorporating Voter Issues into the Classroom Workshops	Video archives of AASCU’s Incorporating Voter Issues into the Classroom Workshops	American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)	https://aascu.org/events/practicing-democracy-april/#education
American Democracy Project’s Practicing Democracy webinars.	American Democracy Project’s Practicing Democracy webinars.	American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)	https://aascu.org/civic-global-engagement/american-democracy-project/practicing-democracy-series/
All In Campus Democracy Challenge	The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge envisions a more engaged and inclusive democracy. Through institutional engagement, direct student engagement, and fostering a national higher education network, ALL IN strives for an electorate that mirrors our country’s makeup and in which college students are democratically engaged on an ongoing basis, during and between elections, and not just at the polls. We believe that a strong, vibrant, and more representative American democracy will result from the greater inclusion of informed college student voters.	All In Campus Democracy Challenge	https://allinchallenge.org/
ALL In Civic Nation	ALL IN works with colleges and universities in all 50 states and Washington, DC, to increase voter participation and democratic engagement — helping to drive record voter turnout among college students.	ALL In Civic Nation	https://civicnation.org/our-initiatives/all-in/
American Democracy Project	Established in 2003 as a nonpartisan initiative of AASCU in partnership with The New York Times, the American Democracy Project (ADP) is a network of nearly 300 state colleges and universities collaborating to deepen the impact public higher education institutions have on preparing students who: Are empowered to be engaged and to lead in the future of our democracy; Directly contribute to a more competitive workforce and a stronger local and national economy; Have knowledge of the structures and processes of democracy and reflect on those processes; Learn to develop civic skills of critical thinking, deliberation, thoughtful listening and dialogue, particularly with opposing views and perspectives; [and] Engage with their community."	Am Democracy Project	https://aascu.org/civic-global-engagement/american-democracy-project/
Andrew Goodman Foundation	Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere is a national, non-partisan, civic engagement movement of student leaders and university partners. The program provides extensive training, resources, as well as a peer network to support its Andrew Goodman Ambassadors while they work to register voters, bring down voting barriers, and tackle important social justice issues on their college campuses.	Andrew Goodman Foundation	https://andrewgoodman.org/
Braver Angels	Braver Angels is a citizens' organization uniting red and blue Americans in a working alliance to depolarize America, offering workshops and materials focused on the skills needed to have difficult conversations across the divide.	Braver Angels	https://braverangels.org/
League of Women Voters	The League is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue. For more than a century, we’ve worked to empower voters and defend democracy. As a women-led organization, we encourage everyone to take part in our democracy.	League of Women Voters	https://www.lwv.org/
Student Learn Students Vote	The Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition is the national hub and largest nonpartisan network in the United States dedicated to increasing college student voter participation. We convene and connect campuses, nonprofit partners, students, and philanthropic leaders with each other, and with resources and programming towards achieving our vision of ensuring that every student has easy and equal access to participate in every election. We use data, relationships, celebration, and easy-to-follow planning structures, to help campus and local leaders register and turn out more student voters every year.	Student Learn Students Vote	https://slsvcoalition.org/
Turbo Vote	TurboVote is an American non-profit website that seeks to increase voter turnout by helping its users register to vote, find polling places, and research election issues. TurboVote is an American non-profit website that seeks to increase voter turnout by helping its users register to vote, find polling places, and research election issues. TurboVote is a product of Democracy Works (https://www.democracy.works/), a nonpartisan, nonprofit that leverages its expertise in research, technology, and strategic partnerships to increase civic participation. See Harvard's FAQ sheet at https://voteschallenge.harvard.edu/files/testcivicengagement/files/turbovote_faqs_-_student-user_resource_002.pdf	Turbo Vote	https://turbovote.org/
Rock the Vote - Register to Vote, Find Election Info, and More!	Building the political power of young people.	Rock the Vote	https://www.rockthevote.org/

Campus Governance and Policies

Protest and free speech policies

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
FREE SPEECH AND THE INCLUSIVE CAMPUS	FREE SPEECH AND THE INCLUSIVE CAMPUS: HOW DO WE FOSTER THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY WE WANT? (NASPA)	NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education	https://www.naspa.org/report/free-speech-and-the-inclusive-campus-how-do-we-foster-the-campus-community-we-want
10-7-21 Free Expression Legislation	The SUNY Student Conduct Institute (SCI) provides resources and training for staff and faculty at public and private institutions of higher education.	SUNY System	https://system.suny.edu/sci/news/10-7-21-free-expression-legislation/
8-5-21 Protecting Students and Speech	The SUNY Student Conduct Institute (SCI) provides resources and training for staff and faculty at public and private institutions of higher education.	SUNY System	https://system.suny.edu/sci/news/8-5-21-protecting-students-and-speech/
Comprehensive Resources on Free Speech and Civic Engagement	The mission of the UC Center is to "explore the intersection of expression, engagement and democratic learning and consider what can be done to restore trust in the value of free speech on college campuses and within society at large." Their website includes guidelines, research papers, programs and events for faculty, students, staff, and administrators, and a podcast devoted to campus speech issues and concerns.	University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement	https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/
Instructional materials for teaching about the First Amendment past and present, up-to-date articles on relevant current events, and comprehensive resource listings	The mission of First Amendment Watch at NYU "is to document threats to the First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and petition, all rights that are critical to self-governance in a democratic society. We agree with James Madison, author of the First Amendment, who recognized the “right of freely examining public characters and measures, and of free communication among the people thereon, which has ever been justly deemed the only effectual guardian of every other right.” Their website offers instructional materials for teaching about the First Amendment past and present, up-to-date articles on relevant current events, and comprehensive resource listings. The institute is "a project of Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute."	First Amendment Watch at New York University	https://firstamendmentwatch.org/

Scholarship and Research

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
Heterodox Academy Reluctance to Discuss Controversial Issues on Campus: Raw Numbers from the 2023 Campus Expression Survey	Reluctance to Discuss Controversial Issues on Campus: Raw Numbers from the 2023 Campus Expression Survey	Heterodox Academy (HxA)	https://heterodoxacademy.org/reports/reluctance-to-discuss-controversial-issues-on-campus-raw-numbers-from-the-2023-campus-expression-survey
Civic Education Research Lab	The Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) conducts evidence-based research on education in civics, social studies, American government, and politics. CERL has produced extensive studies of civic education at the K-12 level, including: Research on the effectiveness of teacher education and professional development programs on teachers’ subject-area knowledge, pedagogy, and self-efficacy. Students’ acquisition of civic knowledge, dispositions, and skills as a result of taking a civics class or participating in a civics program. In addition, CERL is dedicated to exploring the evolution of new media and its consequences for democratic politics, especially citizen engagement. As the requirements of responsible and effective citizenship in the 21st century have become increasingly complex, CERL examines the role of the civic education in preparing young people to navigate the digital age political world. CERL hosts an online repository of resources and information for scholars, educators, and policy makers. CERL is located in the Graduate School of Arts & Science at Georgetown University.	Georgetown University	https://cerl.georgetown.edu/
Answering the call: Offering and analyzing civil discourse opportunities in undergraduate public affairs education	Answering the call: Offering and analyzing civil discourse opportunities in undergraduate public affairs education	University of Delaware	https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15236803.2022.2148604

Other Resources

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
Artificial Intelligence and Education: A Reading List	A bibliography to help educators prepare students and themselves for a future shaped by AI—with all its opportunities and drawbacks.	JSTOR Daily	https://daily.jstor.org/artificial-intelligence-and-education-a-reading-list/

Resource Title

Description

Organization

URL

Artificial Intelligence and Education: A Reading List

A bibliography to help educators prepare students and themselves for a future shaped by AI—with all its opportunities and drawbacks.

JSTOR Daily

https://daily.jstor.org/artificial-intelligence-and-education-a-reading-list/

Other Civic Engagement Organizations / Websites

Resource Title	Description	Organization	URL
Georgetown University - Office of Community Engagement	The Office of Community Engagement helps to fulfill Georgetown’s commitment to the common good in the District of Columbia and the metropolitan region. The office supports the university’s growth and economic development efforts, including master planning; facilitates and develops relationships with community organizations, local governments, and civic organizations; supports community-based research and scholarship; and strengthens the university’s partnership with our neighbors.	Georgetown University	https://communityengagement.georgetown.edu/
AI+ Institute	The AI Institute aims to solve the most important and fundamental problems in robotics and AI. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the research-driven organization unites top talent in robotics, AI, machine learning, computer science, and engineering to develop future generations of intelligent machines. The Institute works in four core areas of research: cognitive AI, athletic AI, organic hardware design, and ethics related to robotics. The Institute’s culture is designed to combine the best features of a university research lab with the best features of a corporate development lab.	AI+ Institute	https://theaiinstitute.com/

Resource Title

Description

Organization

URL

Georgetown University - Office of Community Engagement

The Office of Community Engagement helps to fulfill Georgetown’s commitment to the common good in the District of Columbia and the metropolitan region. The office supports the university’s growth and economic development efforts, including master planning; facilitates and develops relationships with community organizations, local governments, and civic organizations; supports community-based research and scholarship; and strengthens the university’s partnership with our neighbors.

Georgetown University

https://communityengagement.georgetown.edu/

AI+ Institute

The AI Institute aims to solve the most important and fundamental problems in robotics and AI. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the research-driven organization unites top talent in robotics, AI, machine learning, computer science, and engineering to develop future generations of intelligent machines. The Institute works in four core areas of research: cognitive AI, athletic AI, organic hardware design, and ethics related to robotics. The Institute’s culture is designed to combine the best features of a university research lab with the best features of a corporate development lab.

AI+ Institute

https://theaiinstitute.com/

For assistance with information on this page, please contact us at civicfellows@suny.edu.