The Imperative of Civic Engagement in Higher Education

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Join this panel discussion of the Gerhart Center Webinar Series titled "Civic Engagement at Liberal Arts Universities across the Globe" moderated by Simon Gray, program officer, The Global Liberal Arts Alliance, Great Lakes Colleges Association, United States, and featuring panelists Samuel Jude Acquaah, manager for Outreach and Experiential Learning Programs, Ashesi University, Ghana, Karla Diaz, Service-Learning coordinator and faculty at the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, and Sonwabo Ngcelwane, research coordinator for Engaged Scholarship, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Civic engagement has become a priority in higher education as colleges and universities acknowledge their responsibility to prepare students to be actively engaged in the civic life of their communities and to respond to challenges with local impact and global reach – gender, racial, and economic inequality; unequal access to education and health care; sustainability and climate change. Civic engagement encompasses research as well as course-based and co-curricular experiences in which students work beside and learn from members of local communities. This work results in an equitable exchange of interests, knowledge, and practices that benefit the community and builds a foundation for ongoing engagement in civic processes and social change.
The panelists will discuss the place of civic engagement in the missions of their institutions and how that is realized through their work with the local community.

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