Believing that informed and involved students are more likely to participate in the democratic process, Hofstra University established The Center for Civic Engagement to encourage students to become knowledgeable and active citizens in their campus, local, national and global communities.
"Democracies need engaged citizens," said Cynthia Bogard, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and the center's director. "And the habit of active participation in one's civic life typically starts in one's youth. The Hofstra community wants to make sure that our students are given every opportunity to practice civic involvement while they are learning with us."
Formed by a group of faculty members, the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) officially debuted spring 2007 with its sponsorship of Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace, an international peace exhibit at Hofstra that focused on Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Japanese peace activist Daisaku Ikeda, three individuals who promoted peace and social change through non-violent action.
Among its first projects was a student voter registration drive designed to educate students on the 2008 presidential election and to ensure that they were able to participate.
The CCE believes that students who are engaged in their civic life are better satisfied with their lives and social environment, including their university experience; those who learn about the satisfactions of civic engagement at a young age are likely to remain engaged, thus strengthening the democratic fabric; there are specific activities and skills that make for engaged citizens, and these can be encouraged and fostered through sustained deliberative and dialogic programs; and students equipped with civic engagement experiences and skills can more effectively move from awareness to action.
The CCE educates students about their own potential for civic engagement and about current and historical issues related to democracy. It promotes the prerequisites of democracy through educational programs that stress the importance and complex meanings of its central ideals, including freedom of civic speech and expression; respect for others; appreciation for diverse persons and viewpoints; reflection on the ethics of public issues; personal and group empowerment; social and economic equality; and preservation of the environment.
Click here for more information about the Center for Civic Engagement