Reports and References - Public Mission/ Intellectual Foundation of Civic Engagement in the Disciplines

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Harry C. Boyte, Chair

• Launched bimonthly newsletter, Ideas for Action: Civic Engagement News. This electronic newsletter goes out to close to 1,000 people at the UMN, in Minnesota and across the country (with a few international subscribers), including features and news of civic engagement developments. It has a special focus on public scholarship and civic learning in different fields, as well as in higher education as a whole. It is a feature on the University of Minnesota website www.umn.edu/civic
• Hosting AASCU-New York Times Democracy project delegation. We organized a series of meetings with three visitors from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the New York times on April 1-2, to hear their plans (110 member schools are launching a nation wide civic engagement process); to learn from the Times fascinating and important nation-wide focus groups on college student outlooks (to be reported in subsequent newsletters); and to acquaint the delegation with the experiences and work at the UMN.
• Two forums this spring on civic dimensions of disciplines. There will be two forums organized by graduate students on the civic dimensions of disciplines this spring, with GAPSA, the graduate student and professional organization.
• May 7, Festival of Public Work; roundtable of civic engagement projects; forum/symposium on public scholarship with Julie Ellison, Executive Director of Imagining America.