(Corpus Christi)—More than two years of involvement in the American Democracy Project (ADP) have produced tangible evidence that the The New York Times-sponsored effort is having a positive effect on students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
“Students seem to appreciate what’s going on around them and that to make a difference you must engage rather than withdraw from society,” said David Billeaux, interim associate vice president for academic affairs. “Instead of just looking over the hood ornament, students are beginning to look farther down the road.”
Karen
Middleton, a business professor at A&M-Corpus Christi, is surrounded
by students who participated in several community service projects. (Photo
by Jeff Janko)
In 2003, The New York Times teamed up with the Washington-based American Association of Colleges and Universities to launch the initiative to increase student involvement in civic activities and raise social and political awareness on 166 college and university campuses. The project was established out of concern about decreasing rates of participation in the civic life of America in voting, advocacy, local grassroots associations and in other forms of civic engagement.
Twelve universities in Texas are participants, including Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas A&M University-Texarkana and West Texas A&M University.
At A&M-Corpus Christi, the ADP was incorporated into the First-Year Learning Communities Program to stress to students that while preparing for a career is essential for success, receiving an education is as much about being an active member of a democratic society as the size of a person’s paycheck.
“We have to resist the notion that education is purely for the private good of the student,” said Billeaux. “We must combat a sense of apathy. The message of the ADP is that individuals can make a difference in the community and the last few (First-Year Learning Communities Program) cohorts have been more receptive to that message.”
One example of how students can get involved in the community is the renovation of four Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department facilities by students in Karen Middleton’s leadership and managerial effectiveness classes. While the projects were selected by Middleton, the planning and execution were left to the students who also raised the necessary funds through donations and gifts-in-kind from local businesses.
“I wanted to get the students out of the classroom and have them actually design and lead a project through to fruition,” said Middleton. “The objective is not just for students to gain experience in managing projects but to also give them the opportunity to meet and associate with members of the business community.”
The first project taken on by Middleton’s students was the renovation of the Lindale Senior and Community Centers. They remodeled the Senior Center’s dining room, library, meeting room, pottery and pool rooms, patio and entry. They also purchased games and a karaoke machine. The Junior Center received four computers with new educational and recreational software as well as a remodeled entry that included bulletin boards and a large showcase.
That project was followed by two more projects, a makeover of the Joe Garza Recreational and Teen Center and the renovation of the Broadmoor Park Senior Center. The teen center includes a game room, a library, a computer room, an audio-visual room and a “meet your friends” room. A new entryway and additional storage space were added to the senior center which was also equipped with new game tables and equipment.
Columbia
Graduate School of Journalism Professor Roger Newman spoke to Joseph
Jozwiak’s political science classes on civil liberties and the
Patriot Act this spring. (Photo by Jeff Janko)
The American Democracy Project has also helped create a greater intellectual understanding and commitment to civic issues by bringing nationally-recognized intellectual and business leaders to campus.
During the spring 2006 semester, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Professor Roger Newman spoke to Joseph Jozwiak’s political science classes on civil liberties and the Patriot Act, and how significantly expanded law enforcement surveillance activities conflict with the Constitutional guarantees in the Bill of Rights.
“Whether they agreed or disagreed with what Dr. Newman had to say, the students felt it was a privilege to hear him speak,” said Jozwiak. “It’s important to have experts come in and share the results of their research with students. His ultimate point was that, whatever your views, it is important to be involved in the political process.”
The university’s Office of Academic Affairs is cataloguing the list of ADP-related projects. Topics brought to the forefront on campus by the program include stewardship of public lands, public engagement through voting and political activism, and the function of the individual in a larger society.
“Students who become active members of a democratic society tend to be
more moderate and understanding of other points of view,” said Billeaux. “By
testing their point of view against others it helps them realize that compromise
is essential in a highly diverse, complicated society. As a result, they become
better, more productive citizens.” 