Research
The New Core: How Colleges are Building Civic Skills Through General Education
What do today’s college students need to graduate ready for the workplace and their communities? Career preparation is important, of course. So, too, are the skills to have respectful discussions, use reliable information, and collaborate across differences.
General education is a uniquely powerful way to drive this learning. Because it reaches all students, engages faculty across disciplines, and shapes the overall college experience, it offers a practical way to help students show up, speak up, and take action to solve problems on campus and beyond.
The 140+ campuses in C&S’s College Presidents for Civic Preparedness coalition are finding creative ways to challenge preconceived notions and update general education to emphasize civic learning.
Here’s how Moravian University, the State University of New York, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Dayton, Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, the University of North Texas, and James Madison University are building civic skills through general education.
"Employers and communities increasingly need graduates who can think critically, communicate effectively across differences, evaluate information responsibly, and understand their role in contributing to the public good.”
Matt Meyers
President, Pennsylvania Institute of Technology
With the help of C&S's College Presidents for Civic Preparedness coalition, Montclair is taking civic participation from optional to universal.
Put General Education Reform Into Practice
Each school must approach general education revision in a way that makes sense for its academic and cultural climate. No single approach, or recommendation, will work for every college. These key takeaways can, however, help kickstart the process.
- Put these ideas into practice with:
- Practical ways to get started, including making incremental changes and involving faculty early.
- Guidance for embedding civic learning across the curriculum, not just in specific courses or departments.
- Strategies for centering students and creating supportive learning environments.
- Ways to define and measure success as changes are implemented.
“Updating SUNY’s general education requirements has been part of a broader civics and service initiative, which aims to strengthen democracy, improve discourse, promote bridging across difference, and promote civic engagement among SUNY students.”
John B. King Jr.
Chancellor, State University of New York
See How Campuses Are Challenging Common Assumptions
The report explores four common assumptions about integrating civic learning into general education and how colleges are challenging each one.
Assumption 1: Change Must Happen All at Once
Reality: Plenty of schools make incremental change.
Many schools take gradual steps when updating general education. Among schools already making changes, 53% have made partial adjustments, while 12% are still in a pilot phase.
Assumption 2: Civic Learning Belongs Only in Certain Fields
Reality: Any subject can include civic learning.
Civic learning may seem most natural in fields like political science and history, but schools in the coalition are showing that it can fit across departments and disciplines.
Ready to move student interest into civic action?
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