Keith's Article
The UCO American Democracy Project: Fostering Civic Values
and Community Connections
(originally printed in the
VISTA)
Last semester I attended a meeting aimed at creating a long-term
strategy for economic growth in Oklahoma. While I believe that
this endeavor is worthwhile, and the focus of its education
committee on creating an effective workforce is a valid concern,
it struck me that a vital piece of our state’s educational
mission needed more emphasis. Oklahoma educational institutions
must provide students with an education that prepares them not
just to be productive workers, but also to be thoughtful and
creative citizens who care about others and desire to work for
the betterment of society. A key to a better Oklahoma is the
existence of communities with engaged citizens who participate
actively in civic life.
Unfortunately, civic engagement in both political and
non-political realms of American life has declined markedly.
This phenomenon is documented aptly in Robert Putnam's book,
“Bowling Alone,” which gets its metaphorical title from
statistics citing much fewer Americans bowling in leagues today.
Putnam and others note that voting, volunteerism and even simply
spending time with neighbors are all on the decline. And today’s
college graduates are less engaged in civic life than were those
of previous generations. Many leaders are alarmed with this drop
in civic participation. Why? Because vital and successful
communities need citizens who can work together for the common
good. Similarly, innovative and effective governments require
active and engaged citizens.
In response to these challenges UCO, through the leadership of
Provost Don Betz, along with a number of other universities
across the country have joined in the “American Democracy
Project” an effort aimed at educating citizens to become active
and productive members in civic life. A diverse and talented
group of UCO faculty and staff have collaborated to spearhead
this initiative at UCO. Our goals are not modest—we seek nothing
less than to instill the values of character, civility, and
community into the cultural fabric of our university and in the
lives of our students. Rather than simply undertake a few
events, we strive to establish an ongoing university emphasis
and commitment to civic engagement that will outlast our own
tenures here at UCO. Our efforts span the cultural spectrum of
university life from the classroom, to campus organizations, to
connections and partnerships with the outlying community.
This year the UCO American Democracy Project has been involved
in a number of exciting high profile special events including a
screening of the civil rights documentary, “A Southern Town,” a
display of an original copy of the Declaration of Independence,
a student-organized “Poverty Awareness Week,” a speech by former
Oklahoma U.S. Senator Fred Harris about government and
citizenship, and a retrospective presentation of the life of
John F. Kennedy by UCO President W. Roger Webb. We at UCO are
also looking forward to the upcoming health care debate among
Democratic candidates for President being held here at
Constitution Hall.
Yet the vast majority of faculty, staff and student endeavors
promoting civic values and community connections involve the
ongoing and often inspirational actions of UCO citizens
selflessly sharing their talents. Although these efforts are too
numerous to characterize adequately in this column, a few
examples should provide an illustrative snapshot of their value
to our university and the greater community. The UCO department
of Theatre, Dance and Media Arts offers acting classes for
children and older adults in the community, and the Kaleidoscope
Dancers perform for hundreds of school children annually in the
metropolitan area. And we have many faculty members who run
centers and institutes such as the Oklahoma Policy Research
Center, a think tank run by Economics and Political Science
faculty, devoted to the study of important state policy issues.
And faculty from each of the academic colleges at UCO are
challenging their students by creating and teaching innovative
courses every semester. For example, in the Department of
English a Composition course was recently created which has
students, with logistical support from the UCO Volunteer Center,
do volunteer work in the community and reflect on their
experiences. Faculty from the Department of Nursing teach a
“Population Focused Nursing” course where students are sent out
into the community to study and learn about diverse racial and
socio-economic populations and health promotion in local
schools. And in the Dietetic program in the Department of Human
Environmental Sciences, students are shooting a nutrition video
which will be used in a wellness program for the Oklahoma City
Firefighters.
In short, numerous students, staff, and faculty are leading by
example showing that altruism, community involvement, and
working for the betterment of society are not clichés, but part
of the very fabric of UCO. We recognize the importance of our
university’s efforts to instill these civic values and
leadership skills in our students, and believe them to be
instrumental in creating vibrant communities and an economically
strong state. And we are dedicated to continuing the success of
the American Democracy Project at UCO and look forward to our
involvement with all of you in the classroom, on campus, and in
the community.
________________________________________________________________________
Keith Eakins, J.D., Ph.D., is one of the coordinators for the
UCO American Democracy Project. Dr. Eakins is an Assistant
Professor in the Department of Political Science who teaches
courses in public law and judicial politics.
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