Volunteer in Rockford University

What Is Civic Engagement at Rockford University?

Civic Engagement at Rockford University is a host of activities that connect our students, faculty, and staff with communities beyond our campus to promote thought and action that serve the greater good.  We embrace the Thomas Ehrlich definition: “Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.”  [1]

Our aim in using civic engagement as a learning tool is to produce meaningful service experiences for students, faculty, and staff as they engage in local and distant communities. The ideal relationship among all involved parties is reciprocal and represents a win-win scenario. The community partners, for example, explain their needs; then our students and faculty/staff work with the community partners to find a sustainable way to address those needs. This produces a meaningful experience for students by serving as a foundation to enhance their work in the classroom, encourage them to consider questions that don’t have easy answers, and explore alternative solutions with a new social consciousness. Civic Engagement on our campus is a part of both the classroom experience through Community-Based Learning classes and service activities through programs and clubs in Student Life. Therefore, our brand of civic engagement ideally transcend into other classes and college experiences (see the wheel below), while setting a foundation for when students move into the world as professionals.