Institutions of education, and the system of which they are a part,
face a host of unprecedented challenges from forces in society that
affect and are influenced by these very institutions and their
communities of learners and educators. Among these forces are sweeping
demographic changes, shrinking provincial budgets, revolutionary
advances in information and telecommunication technologies,
globalization, competition from new educational providers, market
pressures to shape educational and scholarly practices toward
profit-driven ends, and increasing demands and pressures for fundamental
changes in public policy and public accountability relative to the role
of higher education in addressing pressing issues of communities and
the society at large. Anyone of these challenges would be significant on
their own, but collectively they increase the complexity and difficulty
for education to sustain or advance the fundamental work of serving the
public good.
Through
a forum on education, we can agree to: Strengthening the relationship
between higher education and society will require a broad-based effort
that encompasses all of education, not just individual institutions,
departments and associations.
Piecemeal solutions can only go so
far; strategies for change must be informed by a shared vision and a set
of common objectives. A "movement" approach for change holds greater
promise for transforming academic culture than the prevailing
"organizational" approach.
Mobilizing change will require
strategic alliances, networks, and partnerships with a broad range of
stakeholders within and beyond education.
The Common Agenda is
specifically designed to support a "movement" approach to change by
encouraging the emergence of strategic alliances among individuals and
organizations who care about the role of higher education in advancing
the ideals of a diverse democratic system through education practices,
relationships and service to society.
A Common Agenda
The
Common Agenda is intended to be a "living" document and an open process
that guides collective action and learning among committed partners
within and outside of higher education. As a living document, the Common
Agenda is a collection of focused activity aimed at advancing civic,
social, and cultural roles in society. This collaboratively created,
implemented, and focused Common Agenda respects the diversity of
activity and programmatic foci of individuals, institutions, and
networks, as well as recognizes the common interests of the whole. As an
open process, the Common Agenda is a structure for connecting work and
relationships around common interests focusing on the academic role in
serving society. Various modes of aliening and amplifying the common
work within and beyond education will be provided within the Common
Agenda process.
This approach is understandably ambitious and
unique in its purpose and application. Ultimately, the Common Agenda
challenges the system of higher education, and those who view education
as vital to addressing society's pressing issues, to act deliberately,
collectively, and clearly on an evolving and significant set of
commitments to society. Currently, four broad issue areas are shaping
the focus of the Common Agenda: 1) Building public understanding and
support for our civic mission and actions; 2) Cultivating networks and
partnerships; 3) Infusing and reinforcing the value of civic
responsibility into the culture of higher education institutions; and 4)
Embedding civic engagement and social responsibility in the structure
of the education system
VISION We have a vision of higher
education that nurtures individual prosperity, institutional
responsiveness and inclusivity, and societal health by promoting and
practicing learning, scholarship, and engagement that respects public
needs. Our universities are proactive and responsive to pressing social,
ethical, and economic problems facing our communities and greater
society. Our students are people of integrity who embrace diversity and
are socially responsible and civilly engaged throughout their lives.
MISSION
The purpose of the Common Agenda is to provide a framework for
organizing, guiding and communicating the values and practices of
education relative to its civic, social and economic commitments to a
diverse democratic system.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
I believe
social justice, ethics, educational equity, and societal change for
positive effects are fundamental to the work of higher education. We
consider the relationship between communities and education institutions
to be based on the values of equally, respect and reciprocity, and the
work in education to be interdependent with the other institutions and
individuals in society.
We will seek and rely on extensive
partnerships with all types of institutions and devoted individuals
inside and outside of higher education.
We realize the
interconnection of politics, power and privilege. The Common Agenda is
not for higher education to self-serve, but to "walk the talk" relative
to espoused public goals. We understand the Common Agenda as a dynamic
living document, and expect the activities it encompasses to change over
time.
THE COMMON AGENDA FRAMEWORK The general framework for the
common agenda is represented in the following diagram. It is clear that
while goals and action items are organized and aliened within certain
issues areas, there is considerable overlap and complimentarity among
the issues, goals and action items. Also, following each action item are
names of individuals who committed to serve as "point persons" for that
particular item. A list of "point persons," with their organizational
affiliation(s) is included with the common agenda.
ISSUES
ISSUE 1: MISSION AND ACTIONS
Public
understanding more and more equates higher education benefits with
acquiring a "good job" and receiving "higher salaries." To understand
and support the full benefits of higher education the public and higher
education leaders need to engage in critical and honest discussions
about the role of higher education in society. Goal: Develop a common
language that resonates both inside and outside the institution. Action
Items: Develop a common language and themes about our academic role and
responsibility to the public good, through discussions with a broader
public.
Collect scholarship on public good, examine themes and
identify remaining questions. Develop a national awareness of the
importance of higher education for the public good through the
development of marketing efforts.
Goal: Promote effective and
broader discourse. Action Items: Raise public awareness about the
institutional diversity within and between higher education
institutions.
Identify strategies for engaging alumni associations
for articulating public good and building bridges between higher
education and the various private and public sector companies. Develop
guidelines of discourse to improve the quality of dialogue on every
level of society. Organize a series of civil dialogues with various
public sectors about higher education and the public good.
ISSUE 2: DEVELOPING NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Approaching
complex issues such as the role of higher education in society that
requires a broad mix of partners to create strategies and actions that
encompass multiple valued perspectives and experiences.
Broad
partnerships to strengthen the relationship between higher education and
society involves working strategically with those within and outside of
higher education to achieve mutual goals on behalf of the public good.
Goal: Create broad and dispersed communication systems and processes.
Action Items:
Create
an information and resource network across higher education
associations Create information processes that announce relevant
conferences, recruit presenters and encourage presentations in
appropriate national conferences Develop opportunities for information
sharing and learning within and between various types of postsecondary
institutions (e.g. research-centered communities).
Goal: Create and support strategic alliances and diverse collaborations.
Action
Items: Establish and support on-going partnerships and collaborations
between higher education associations and the external community (e.g.
civic organizations, legislators, community members) Explore with the
public how to employ the role of arts in advancing higher education for
the public good Promote collaboration between higher education and to
address access, retention, and graduation concerns
ISSUE 3: INSTILLING AND REINFORCING THE VALUE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY INTO THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Education
should attend to the implicit and explicit consequences of its work,
and reexamine "what counts" to integrate research, teaching and service
for the public good to the core working of the institution.
Goal: Emphasize civic skills and leadership development in the curriculum and co-curriculum.
Action
Items: Develop and implement a curriculum in colleges and universities
that promote civic engagement of students Create co-curricular student
and community programs for leadership and civic engagement development
Develop learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom,
that promote liberty, democratic responsibility, social justice and
knowledge of the economic system Develop student leadership and service
opportunities that focus on ethical behavior Teach graduate students
organizing and networking skills, and encourage student leadership and
Diversity education
Goal: Foster a deeper commitment to the public good.
Action
Items: Work with faculty on communication skills and languages to
describe their engagement with the public, and educate faculty for the
common good Identify models for promotion and tenure standards Identify
models for faculty development
Goal: Identify, recognize, and support engaged scholarship.
Action
Items: Identify and disseminate models and exemplars of scholarship on
the public good Encourage the participation in community research Help
institutions call attention to exemplary outreach. Establish a capacity
building effort for institutions
Goal: Bring graduate education into alignment with the civic mission.
Action
Items: Work with disciplinary associations to hold dialogues on ways
graduate student training can incorporate public engagement, involvement
and service Promote "civic engagement" within academic and professional
disciplines according to the disciplines' definition of "civic
engagement" Incorporate the concept of higher education for the public
good into current graduate education reform efforts
ISSUE 4: EMBEDDING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
Promoting
the public benefits of higher education requires system efforts beyond
institutions to intentionally embed values of civic engagement and
social responsibility in governance practices, policy decisions, and
educational processes.
Goal: Align governing structures and administrative strategies.
Action
Items: Develop ways to improve student and the community involvement in
the governance and decision making process of educational institutions.
Identify and promote ways for institutions to improve involvement with
the public and the practice of democracy within their own institution.
Establish public good/civic engagement units that orchestrate this work
throughout institutions.
Goal: Publicly recognize and support valuable engagement work.
Action
Items: Offer public awards that reward institutions with demonstrable
track record in serving the public good in order to encourage
institutionalization of performance around the public good and civic
engagement.
Develop a comprehensive inventory of funding sources,
association activities, initiatives, and exemplary practices that
advance the public good. Identify, recognize, and support early career
scholars who choose to do research on higher education and its public
role in society.
Goal: Ensure that assessment and accreditation processes include civic engagement and social responsibility.
Action
Items: Identify service for the public good as a key component in
provincial and federal educational plans (e.g. Master Plans, provincial
budgets, and professional associations).
Bring higher education
associations and legislators together to broaden current definition of
student outcomes and achievement, and develop a plan for assessment.
Develop
strategies and processes to refocus system-wide planning, accreditation
and evaluation agendas to consider criteria assessing the social,
public benefits of education.