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Winter 2018 Newsletter

2/6/2018

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 14, February 2018
"An educated citizenry is the essential instrument for promoting
responsible social action and community well-being." - Eugene M. Lang

To view the Newsletter with photos: Winter 2018 Newsletter

Featured Article:
Pitzer Takes D4D Letter to an Elected Official Competition to "Inside-Out Prison Exchange" Classes
By Tessa Hicks Peterson, Pitzer College

"This letter writing personally motivated me to voice my opinion and to get others to voice theirs in order to push legislative agendas that are important to us as inmates... because mass incarceration is out of control and legislation can make a difference. It's important to try to push things forward with these assemblymen and try to make a difference. I plan on getting involved with policy organizations and giving back when I get out." (MJ, inside student)

During the Fall 2017 semester, Pitzer College decided to introduce a new twist to our usual participation in the Project Pericles "Letter to an Elected Official" national letter writing competition. The letters would be written in prison, by prisoners, about prison (continued at the end).

National Office News:
Debating for Democracy (D4D) Students Protect the Hudson River from Oil Tankers -

Rowan Lanning ('18) and Christina Thomas ('19), Pace University, won the 2017 D4D Letters to an Elected Official competition for their letter seeking to halt the use of the Hudson River as an anchorage for oil tankers, a practice the Coast Guard had proposed without consultation with local communities or developing an environmental impact study. In collaboration with Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the Pace University D4D team ran a successful campaign to protect the Hudson River from the threat of oil spills. Thanks to the work of Christina, Rowan, and many others, the Coast Guard withdrew its proposal to permit anchorages for oil tankers. The Coast Guard appointed the students as official observers for its Port and Waterway Safety Assessment meetings held in November.

"In light of these recent and exciting developments [the withdrawal of the Coast Guard's proposal], we are left in the unexpected position of ... being able to declare victory.... We are thrilled to continue on [with] this exciting experience and appreciate your [Project Pericles'] ... support."-Rowan Lanning, Pace University ('18)

The Reed College Team Met with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Oregon State Senator Kathleen Taylor (D-21) as part of their work on Federal and State Legislation to protect students from sexual assault. Leilani Ganser ('19) spoke with Senator Merkley about the health care needs of sexual assault survivors and is working with Senator Merkley's office to introduce a bill that amends FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) to classify sexual assault as a public health issue that must be included on transcripts (the bill proposed in their letter). The team is also working with Oregon State Senator Kathleen Taylor and a representative from Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum's office to lower the state standard of evidence in Title IX investigations to a "Preponderance of the Evidence" standard.

For the D4D Letter to an Elected Official Competition Leilani Ganser ('19) and Sonya Morud ('19) wrote "A Letter in Support of the Safe Transfer Act" (would require post-secondary institutions to disclose sex offenses on students' transcripts) to Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).

About D4D - The Debating for Democracy National Conference features a Legislative Hearing in which teams of students compete for $5,000 in prize money by presenting in front of a panel of former government officials. The teams use the awards to develop advocacy and educational campaigns focused on their issues. In 2017, a panel of three judges- Constance Berry Newman, Martha Kanter, and Ruth Messinger-selected Pace University as the winner of the D4D Letters to an Elected Official Competition. The winning team received $3,000 to move their issue forward and the finalist teams each will receive $500. In this issue, we provide updates on the Pace University and Reed College teams. Berea College, Carleton College, and Swarthmore College were the other 2017 finalists. We provided updates on Berea and Carleton in the Fall 2017 Newsletter and will highlight Swarthmore in the future.

Project Pericles Highlighted in The Chronicle of Higher Education

In his recent Chronicle of Higher Education overview of civic engagement, Michael Anftdiscussed the work of Project Pericles. For the piece, Anft interviewed Project Pericles Executive Director Jan R. Liss as well as Project Pericles Program Directors from Goucher College and Pitzer College.

"Project Pericles encourages colleges to map out their civic offerings and to find gaps by measuring them against those of other member institutions. 'We're getting more and more inquiries from colleges asking, 'How do we get this started?'' says Ms. Liss. 'We're really starting to get some serious traction on this.'"

"The goal isn't limited to campus activism, community work, or courses, she says. It's to tie them all together into a cohesive strategy geared to each campus."

We are pleased that The Chronicle is focusing on civic engagement. In collaboration with all of our member colleges and universities, we look forward to having a strong voice in the evolving national discussion about the critical role of civic engagement in safeguarding our democracy. The article is available online and appeared in the January 12 print edition.

D4D on the Road™ Prepares Student Leaders for Activism

The 2017-2018 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ workshops resumed on January 20 at Macalester College with Carleton College visiting and on January 27 at Hendrix College with the University of Central Arkansas visiting. We are pleased to partner with Midwest Academy for 2017-2018. D4D workshops provide both novice and seasoned activists with the skills they need to develop advocacy and education campaigns through effective messaging to policymakers, community leaders, and the public. Workshops are open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. During the D4D on the Road™ workshops, seasoned organizers and activists walk participants through the critical steps in running successful campaigns to win on important issues.

From the evaluations and surveys from the 2016-2017 D4D on the Road workshops, we know that our students are concerned with Climate Change, Education Access, Immigration Reform, LGBTQ Rights, Mass Incarceration, and Race and Inequality. We are using these topics to teach students tools to enable them to become more active citizen and effective advocates on issues of concern.

Following the January 20 workshop at Macalester, The Mac Weekly featured front page coverage of the workshop. "People care about lots of issues, and I think you hear [it] at the walk-in, etc.," [Macalester College Civic Engagement Center (CEC) Outreach Coordinator Derek] Johnson [said], "but how do you continue to work on these things? This is giving [students] a toolbox, a framework, and some skills."

For Hannah Whipple [Macalester College] '21, [the trainer Jhatayn] Travis' experience as an activist was a major highlight of the training.

"I think my favorite part of it was seeing her real-life examples," Whipple said. "After she told us about all these strategies, she walked us through a specific campaign that she went through and then she showed us a video to succinctly wrap it up. I really appreciated that."

New Project Pericles Board Members, Lou Martarano and Jim Mullen

Please join me in welcoming Louis (Lou) A. Martarano and James (Jim) H. Mullen Jr.as Project Pericles' newest board members - Lou and Jim were elected to the Project Pericles Board of Directors at our December meeting. With their expertise, insight, and wisdom, we are very pleased to have both of them join the board. Jim, President of Allegheny College, will serve in an ex officio capacity as a representative of the Project Pericles Presidents' Council. Biographies for Lou and Jim can be found at the end.

Periclean Faculty Leaders - Changing the Civil Discourse on Campus

This fall, we launched a second round of the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program™ on 13 campuses. The PFL Program is a leadership and course development program dedicated to incorporating civil discourse, civic engagement, and social responsibility across the undergraduate curriculum.

The Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program™ encourages faculty members in a wide range of disciplines to create and teach courses that address issues of social concern, enrich the curriculum, and enhance student engagement. Periclean Faculty Leaders (PFLs) from the first cohort are serving as mentors to the 2017-2018 PFL cohort. The PFL Program is supported by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation.

16 Periclean Faculty Leaders taught courses from a wide range of disciplines: Archaeology and Classical Studies, Business Law, Computer Science, Dance, English, Environmental Studies, History, Mathematics and Statistics, Psychology, Sociology, Theatre, and Urban Studies. Their syllabi have joined the 100 other courses incorporating civic engagement on our website.

Periclean Faculty Leaders Wow at AAC&U Annual Meeting in DC

At AAC&U, PFL Phong Le discusses a student mapping project using 911 data.
Photo by Jennifer Magee.

On January 25, four Periclean Faculty Leaders presented, "From Curriculum To Community: Encouraging Faculty and Students To Change The World" as part of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) 2018 Annual Meeting. Joining Jan R. Liss, Project Pericles Executive Director, on stage to talk about their experiences were Periclean Faculty Leaders from Goucher College, New England College, Skidmore College, and Swarthmore College.

Phong Le, Assistant Professor of Mathematics in the Center for Data, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Goucher College and Lynne Steuerle Schofield, Associate Professor of Statistics, Swarthmore College, spoke about the benefits for their students of incorporating civic engagement into their math and statistics courses. Lynne also provided data on how courses with civic engagement components are attracting students who might not otherwise take math or statistics classes.

Alex Picard, Associate Professor of Theatre, New England College talked about what a powerful experience writing and producing an original play on current social issues had been for her students and the entire New England College community. Students used the course to channel their concerns with the current political climate by working for positive change. Picard described her course as fundamentally changing the civil discourse on campus. After class, discussions continued in the dining and residence halls.

Finally, Nurcan Atalan-Helicke, Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies and Sciences, Skidmore College discussed her students' work to measure the college's scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, with a focus on emissions generated by study abroad programs, and developing plans to mitigate the campus's environmental impact.

AAC&U and CIC - Project Pericles at National Meetings

Project Pericles presented at AAC&U as part of their Pre-Meeting Symposium, "The Power of Civic Engagement-Across Campus, Within Communities, Beyond Borders". Our panel was one of the "sessions highlighting our [AAC&U's] key partners." We were pleased to be a co-sponsor along with Campus Compact and Imagining America.

For our panel, "Incorporating Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility in the Classroom, on Campus, and in the Community," Project Pericles Program Directors discussed how we collaborate across the consortium and advance civic engagement. They each highlighted one of our programs, Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement, Creating Curricular Coherence, Debating for Democracy (D4D)™, and the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program™. Presenting with Jan R. Liss, Executive Director, Project Pericles were Darby K. Ray, Director, Harward Center for Community Partnerships and Donald W. & Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement, Bates College; Karin Trail-Johnson, Associate Dean, Institute for Global Citizenship and Director, Civic Engagement Center, Macalester College; Ella Turenne, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement, Occidental College; ; and Christian Rice, Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement and Director, Bonner Leader Program and UCARE, Ursinus College.

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) invited Project Pericles to present at their 2017 Institute for Chief Academic and Chief Student Affairs Officers in San Antonio, Texas. We discussed our work as part of Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement, the three-year initiative that spurred member institutions to inventory, map, and strengthen civic engagement across the curriculum. Joining Jan R. Liss on the panel were Chad Berry, Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, Berea College; Yolanda Williams Page, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dillard University; and Jenna Templeton, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chatham University. The session was chaired by Mark Schneider, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, Ursinus College.

Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement was a project to reconceptualize the organization and integration of programming for civic engagement and social responsibility on 26 Periclean campuses. With support from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation, member colleges and universities inventoried, mapped, strengthened, and developed more cohesive and integrated civic engagement programs to enable students in all disciplines to incorporate civic engagement into their courses of study. In our 2017 White Paper Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement: Five Approaches to Institutionalizing Civic Engagement by Garret S. Batten, Project Pericles; Adrienne Falcón, Carleton College; and Jan R. Liss, Project Pericles we discuss insights from this multi-campus project.

Campus Pursue Greater Institutionalization of Civic Engagement Through Collaboration

Representatives of the three campuses (Macalester College, Morehouse College, and Widener University) participating in Creating Curricular Coherence through Inquiry-Based and Thematic Pathways (2017-2020) and Project Pericles met in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with AAC&U's 2018 Annual Meeting. All three teams reported making considerable progress on their projects which are exploring different but allied approaches to creating greater coherence in the undergraduate curriculum.

Macalester College has held a series of meetings and workshops with the History and Geography departments, including a "Deep Dive" where the departments met together, as they work to further integrate civic engagement and community-based learning into the departments' approaches to instruction using a pathway or scaffolded approach.

Morehouse recently passed significant changes to its general education requirements. As part of Creating Curricular Coherence, Morehouse held a series of faculty development workshops to assist faculty as they redesign courses.

Widener solicited proposals for redesigned courses that will be included in its new, inter-disciplinary sustainability pathway and made 14 mini-grants to support faculty course development.

Creating Curricular Coherence is a faculty-led initiative that involves comprehensive reviews of the curriculum. These are ambitious undertakings that will redefine undergraduate education at each institution for years to come. Funded by a $225,000 grant from The Teagle Foundation and with support from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation, three institutions are streamlining their curricula using civic engagement and community-based learning as catalysts in their efforts. Macalester is piloting pathways in Geography and History with plans to expand their efforts. Morehouse and Widener are redesigning their curriculum with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning. Morehouse is using questions about the African diaspora to help shape its work while Widener is focusing on sustainability. In 2019, all Periclean campuses will be invited to a convening where we will discuss insights and best practices on curricular organization, streamlining, and institutional change.

Building Campus-based Student Task Forces

Comprised of student-led task forces on our member campuses, Student Choices - Student Voices (SCSV) encourages civic participation by hosting an array of events and activities about national issues for students and community members.

SCSV activities on campus are in full swing. Wagner College held a political film screening and voter registration event featuring films exclusively produced by Wagner students. Each film included a Q&A with the audience and filmmakers which initiated valuable conversations about current events. At Ursinus College, a student moderated an election panel on campus and reported "a great turnout and the students were very engaged." Macalester College students assisted with voter registration at the Civic Engagement Center and are now collaborating with BallotReady to collect information to support the 2018 election.

This fall, we released a SCSV guidebook and regular newsletter for student task forces working on voter registration and political engagement.

Project Pericles would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Pericleans Presidents and Provosts.

Presidents
Hubert L. Grimes, Interim President, Bethune-Cookman University
David A. Thomas, President, Morehouse College

Provosts
Scott Sibley, Interim Provost, Goucher College
Crystal Dea Moore, Interim Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic
Affairs, Skidmore College
Fred Akl, Provost, Widener University

New Members of the Project Pericles Presidents' Council Executive Committee
Please join us in congratulating the following on their recent appointment:
President José Antonio Bowen, Goucher College
President Valerie Smith, Swarthmore College
Pericleans in the News

Whitman College Receives Large Grant from Mellon Foundation for Community-Based Teaching

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Whitman College an $800,000 grant to support ongoing and new initiatives related to community-based teaching and research, with a special emphasis upon increasing diversity and inclusion across campus. The grant will support, among other things, a faculty director position to guide and support community-based learning efforts across campus, faculty support for CBL pedagogy, community outreach, and new initiatives to develop themed curricular clusters based in experiential learning and community engagement.

Whitman has made significant progress to deepen relationships with the Native American groups living in the region. In May, the college signed a historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the nearby Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). The MOU lays out a plan for streamlining communication between Whitman and the Tribes and will be the platform for various types of community engagement activities, including an anticipated "Semester on the Reservation" program.

Noah Leavitt (Director of Whitman's Student Engagement Center) and Jason Pribilsky(Prof. of Anthropology and Chair of the Social Sciences and Project Pericles Program Director) hosted an event for tribal stakeholders and Whitman faculty and staff called "Realizing the MOU." The event served as a knowledge exchange between the institutions. Over a day of programming, both groups shared key initiatives, ending with a brainstorming session to identify potential future collaborations between CTUIR and Whitman faculty and students.

Project Pericles Board Member Biographies (continued from National Office News)

Louis (Lou) A. Martarano has significant financial, managerial, educational, and board experience. He led groups in the United States and Europe in the financial services industry and is involved in higher education. He is the Director overseeing Penn State's prestigious Science BS/MBA accelerated joint degree program. For the Yale University Alumni Non-Profit Alliance (YANA), he is a board member, Vice President, and serves on the Executive Committee. He has served as Board of Trustees member (2002 to 2011) and Chair (2011 to 2013) for Marymount Manhattan College.

Lou came to know Theresa Lang and Gene Lang through his service at Marymount. He attended our 2017 D4D National Conference to see the five finalist teams present at the legislative hearing.

Starting his financial services career at Kidder Peabody & Co. in 1981, he was a specialist in the energy, environmental and infrastructure industries managing transactions to successful completion. Lou was recruited in 1992 by Merrill Lynch to take a leading role in its project finance business, eventually establishing and managing its London Project Finance Group in 1997.

Lou received a Master's Degree in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry with honors from The Pennsylvania State University, where he serves as Chair of the Dean's Advisory Board and on its Development Committee. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of Penn State's Palmer Art Museum, which he has also chaired.
James (Jim) H. Mullen, Jr. became the 21st president of Allegheny College in 2008. With more than 30 years of experience in leadership roles in higher education, and a keen appreciation for Allegheny's history and traditions, he is continuing the work of earlier presidents in building community while at the same time enhancing the College's reputation as one of the nation's preeminent colleges of the liberal arts and sciences.

Dr. Mullen's tenure, Allegheny celebrated its bicentennial and also publicly launched the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in College history, both in 2015. In addition, one of his key initiatives has been the establishment of the national Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life, which was created in 2011 to annually recognize two political figures, one liberal and one conservative, who argue passionately but with civility for their beliefs. In 2017, the Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life in Pennsylvania was awarded at the state level for the first time.

Dr. Mullen has served as chair of the board of directors of the American Council on Education (ACE), the nation's most visible and influential higher education association with a base of more than 1,800 member institutions. He continues to serve ACE as a representative of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), which represents more than 1,000 private nonprofit institutions of higher learning on higher education policy issues with federal and state governments. Dr. Mullen also serves as chair of the board of directors of the Great Lakes College Association (GLCA) and as vice president of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).

Dr. Mullen also serves on boards for the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh and the Meadville Medical Center.

In addition to his leadership roles in higher education and civic organizations, Dr. Mullen has been a sought-after lecturer in public policy and civility in public discourse, where his work focuses on the American presidency, as well as history and political science. Dr. Mullen is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He holds a master of public policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Pitzer Takes D4D Letter to an Elected Official Competition to "Inside-Out Prison Exchange" Classes (continued from Featured Article).
By Tessa Hicks Peterson, Pitzer College

To explain, let me provide a bit more information about Pitzer College and the unusual kind of community engagement it practices that has led it to partner with prisons. Pitzer was founded in 1963 as an experimental liberal arts college influenced by social reform movements with deep roots in American progressivism and a commitment to the founding ideas of participation and community. Given its mission and values, it is unsurprising to find that many of its faculty, staff, and students are deeply invested in one of the greatest social justice issues of our time: the devastating impacts that result from mass incarceration, the school to prison pipeline and the collateral damages people face while attempting people to re-enter and find success in "free" society after serving prison time. Given that 2.3 million people are incarcerated in the United States (which is five times higher than most of the countries in the world), this is an issue that impacts not just some of us, but all of us (if not by personal experience or that of our immediate community, then by the fact that all American taxpayers are complicit in upholding our current criminal justice procedures and correctional facilities by way of the industry's $26 billion annual charge to taxpayers).

In an attempt to address the need for higher education in prison and to use our engagement there to educate students about the vast injustices borne of the criminal justice system, Pitzer has been teaching a number of "inside-out prison exchange" classes in at the California Rehabilitation Center (a local men's prison) since 2014. The "Inside-Out Prison Education program" is a nationwide effort aimed at connecting "outside" students from colleges and universities with "inside" students, who are incarcerated in local prisons, for the mutual benefit of each. While this practice has been gaining steady popularity and become established at colleges and universities across the country for the last 20 years, there are fewer examples of it on the West coast. Pitzer is spearheading a trend in California to offer semester-long, dual credit-bearing shared courses by providing nine of these courses in the last three years and securing a commitment by the entire Claremont College Consortium to teach eight of these classes annually, from an array of disciplines, into the future.

Having had the opportunity to oversee this development at the Claremont Colleges and teach annually in this program since the first pilot year, I have come to see what a profound experience this form of community engagement creates, both for inside and outside students, as well as their teachers. The array of perspectives and life experiences in the classroom infuse class discussions and theoretical analysis with a new energy and purpose. The breaking down of barriers, assumptions, fears, and biases (from all sides) is deep and on-going. Furthermore, the critical pedagogy approach that is embedded in this model and the willingness of participants to try new things as part of this learning adventure means that innovative, interactive learning occurs daily inside the most unlikely of places. Thus, the stage that was perfectly set for introducing the "Letter to an Elected Official" national letter writing competition.

The assignment was also perfectly aligned with my current course, Critical Community Studies, which explores current movements, theories, and narratives centered around critical issues in our local communities, namely education and incarceration. As such, the students needed to pull on what had sparked their interests in the readings we had done about mass incarceration, the school to prison pipeline, and pedagogies of education aiming at social change and liberation, and link these topics to current legislation. They researched local and federal legislation and found some fascinating bills surrounding incarceration and education that allowed them to connect the theoretical models they had studied to practical solutions, advocating passionately for the issues that directly impacted at least half our class. They discussed together what issues they wanted to pursue, what legislation best aligned with their interests, the additional research they'd need to do in order to substantiate their arguments, and what kind of compelling personal narratives they might include to make their letters persuasive and engaging. They worked together over seemingly insurmountable divides (based on their differing life experiences, academic levels, and the obvious distance between them that forbade any contact outside of class). Despite these challenges, they collaboratively wrote some of the most thoughtful, well-researched and impassioned letters than I have seen in my 10 years overseeing this competition. They wrote to elected officials about a range of bills concerning prison reform, bail reform and aims to reduce the recidivism rate of formerly incarcerated people as well as bills related to education, nonviolence, and peacebuilding. Through their letters, they advanced not only their own respective civic engagement abilities and interests but also used the assignment as a way to advance prison education and social change.

On the last day of class, they discussed the incredibly meaningful impact the collaborative letter-writing assignment had on them. I end with examples of this impact, as articulated in their own words:

"I consider myself a politically involved person but I had never written a letter to an elected official before. Ever. It had never been a part of my school curriculum, either. This assignment was a great example of how to teach civic engagement." (SK, outside student)

"What we are writing about are bi-partisan issues-nobody wants recidivism! There is power in somebody reading a narrative they aren't familiar with and seeing how policies are impacting people's lives. Even if it doesn't mean huge change in laws right away, it can change people's minds." (SH, outside student)

"It's one thing to have people speak for you. It's another to have your voice heard." (SA, inside student)

"This was a very cool exercise in hope. It's hard to stay hopeful in the midst of current events. This was a cool way to incorporate abstract solutions into something that is concrete-a bill that could actually be passed." (OK, outside student)

"When you come to prison, a lot of your own voice and choice is gone. Someone always tells you when, where and how. This assignment gave us an opportunity to come together and discuss what is an actual problem we are facing that we want to bring up and give voice to." (XX, inside student)

About The Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ Letter to an Elected Official Competition: The competition engages students around public policy issues, the political process, and with their elected officials. Since 2008, hundreds of teams from all Periclean colleges and universities have participated in this competition. Every year, a panel of judges with significant legislative experience selects the five winning letters written by teams of students from Periclean campuses. Winning teams are selected based on their letters and their advocacy proposals. Letters have proposed innovative solutions on a wide variety of issues including the DREAM Act, nuclear non-proliferation agreement with Iran, a national food waste management systems, the student debt crisis, and K-12 education reform. Letters are sent to elected officials throughout the United States.

About the Author
Tessa Hicks Peterson is Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement, Project Pericles Program Director, and Associate Professor of Urban Studies at Pitzer College, USA and also the author of the newly released book,  Student Development and Social Justice: Critical Learning, Radical Healing, and Community Engagement.

Project Pericles Needs Your Support!
Protect our democracy! Please make a donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue to prepare student leaders for lives of engaged citizenship. Donations can be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner.

To subscribe or to submit Periclean-related information for publication,
email garret.batten@projectpericles.org.

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College
Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University
Dillard University * Drew University * Elon University
The Evergreen State College * Goucher College * Hampshire College
Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College
New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University
Pitzer College * Reed College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Skidmore College
Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College
Whitman College * Widener University * The College of Wooster
National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss
Assistant Director: Garret S. Batten
Program Associate: Arielle del Rosario

Board of Directors
Founder and Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang (1919-2017)
Chair: Neil R. Grabois
Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman
Treasurer: David A. Caputo
Janet S. Dickerson
Richard Guarasci
Helen Lang Suskin
Arthur E. Levine
Jan R. Liss*
Louis A. Martarano
Michael S. McPherson
James H. Mullen, Jr.*
Harris L. Wofford
*ex officio

Presidents' Council
Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College
Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College
National Board of Advisors
Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved.

Fall 2017 Newsletter

9/12/2017

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 14, September 2017

To view the Newsletter with photos: Fall 2017 Newsletter.

The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential element of their educational programs in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.

National Office News:
Project Pericles Supports DREAMers

As an organization dedicated to promoting civic engagement in higher education, Project Pericles stands with the DREAMers. Through their advocacy of their cause and quest for social justice, the DREAMers embody the qualities that we seek to impart in all Pericleans. Students on Periclean campuses have been and continue to be actively engaged in promoting the DREAMers cause. We support them in these efforts.

Civic Engagement Guidebook Completed

Project Pericles just released a draft of our Civic Engagement Guidebook as part of our multi-year initiative Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement. The guidebook draws on best practices and lessons learned from the initiative and from our associated White Paper, Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement: Five Approaches to Institutionalizing Civic Engagement by Garret Batten, Adrienne Falcón, and Jan R. Liss. The Guidebook includes submissions from Allegheny College, Carleton College, Bates College, Goucher College, Occidental College, Pace University, and Wagner College.

Topics discussed:
Five Approaches to Institutionalizing Civic Engagement
Pathways
Requirements
Certificates and Minors
Intensive Programs-Civic Scholars
Entrepreneurial/Open Choice Models
Faculty Recruitment
Working with Community Partners
Student Reflection
Assessment and Evaluation

We are treating the guidebook as a living document and plan on adding to it on a regular basis. While the initial focus is on the institutionalization and organization of civic engagement, there are many other topics that we plan to address including pedagogical methods and techniques, syllabi development, and an annotated bibliography.

If you would like to submit an entry for the guidebook, please let us know. The guidebook will be on the agenda at the 2017 Project Pericles Program Directors Conference (see below).

This work was made possible through the generous support of The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation.

New Project Pericles Board Member, Helen Lang Suskin

Please join us in welcoming Helen Lang Suskin to our board. Helen has been familiar with the work of Project Pericles since the organization was a gleam in Gene Lang's eyes in 1999. He spoke with her and used her wise counsel as he developed Project Pericles. We are pleased to have her expertise, insight, and perspective on our board.

Helen led the Global Business Analytics and Insights team for the Emerging Markets Business Unit of Pfizer, Inc. In this role, she was responsible for ensuring delivery of fact and analytically-based customer insights that drove business decisions at the global, regional, and local level. Previously, Helen led the Market Analytics functions for the US and Commercial and Business Development, enabling investment in the highest value opportunities both within the Pfizer pipeline and external opportunities.

Helen joined Pfizer in 1988; before leading the Market Analytics function, she held roles of increasing responsibility within the Finance organization. Additionally, she had leadership roles in organization-wide transformations, including the Warner Lambert, Pharmacia and Wyeth integrations as well as a comprehensive review of sales and marketing practices. She also led Pfizer's philanthropic programs to expand access to free and reduced-cost prescription medications.

Before joining Pfizer, Helen spent five years as an agricultural engineer, advising and applying modern scientific and commercial practice for one of the largest farming conglomerates in Argentina. Helen is a mentor at The Lang School of Entrepreneurshipat Columbia University and is involved with an education initiative in Kenya, Africa. Helen holds an MBA from Columbia University, and a BS in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Update on D4D Letter to an Elected Official 2016 Student Teams and Their Projects

Berea College
Megan Yocum ('17) and Tran Nguyen ('17), the student team from Berea College, filmed a Public Service Announcement (PSA), "Sincerely, a Kentuckian." Originally, the video was to "inform the public about KY Senate Bill 180 in order to prompt them to action" as the bill would allow business owners to deny services to LGBTQ customers based on religious beliefs. While developing the PSA, the bill passed in the Senate (but later not in the House).

Because Senator Jared Carpenter, the senator of Madison County where Berea lies, voted yes on this bill, Megan and Tran decided to frame their video as an open letter to Senator Carpenter, focusing on how students, faculty, and staff understand this bill and what impact it would have had on them, their friends, families, and communities. The pair filmed a diverse group of constituents on campus, over a three week period. As the film went into post-production, Megan explained that the "PSA is even more important now that SB 180 has been rewritten while the editing process of this project occurred."

Carleton College
The Carleton College team of Sharaka Berry ('18), Sarah Goldman ('17), Robert Harris III ('17), Maya Margolis ('19), and Jenni Rogan ('19), started a nonprofit, Heart of the Heartland, an agricultural-based educational program. In June, they held their first Young Farmer Summer Seminar. During this "five-week intensive agricultural program" students were placed with farmer mentors and also took "topical seminars in agricultural biology and policy (http://heartoftheheartland.com/young-farmer-summer-seminar/ )." Students participated in hands-on workshops at Northfield-area farms focusing on a different topic each week: water, soil, farm technology, farm business, and food systems/food justice, public policy, and more. The first cohort included students from Carleton College, Macalester College, and St. Olaf's College.

Heart of the Heartland grew out of the Carleton teams' support of the 2014 Farm Bill. As part of the D4D Letters to an Elected Official competition, the team wrote a letter to Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in support of subsidizing crop insurance to allow for more diversified crops of fruits and vegetables and away from an overreliance on corn and soy. In turn, they argued, this would help secure healthy and nutritious food grown within the United States.

Pitzer College
Amina Farías ('18) and Eleanor Neal at Pitzer College ('18)wrote "A Letter in Support of Medicaid-funded Mental Health Treatment and Recovery Support Programs for Justice-Involved Populations" to Representative Judy Chu (D-CA). They began their corresponding project by partnering with Prototypes Women's Center, which treats individuals and families' with addiction and mental health issues. Amina and Eleanor spent two hours a week facilitating a class for six women, where they worked with women on what resources would be most helpful in getting them to a point of stability. At this year's D4D National Conference, delegates Amina and Eleanor mapped out next steps for their project with students from around the country during the Social Action workshop.

Amina and Eleanor are currently planning a resource fair and developing their second class curriculum for the women at Prototypes. Their long-term goals are to further relationships between Pitzer students, the surrounding community, and the Prototypes Women's Center; to provide resources for the women at Prototypes, such as a professional clothing closet made up of local donations; and to create an action plan for other students to continue their initial work.

About The D4D Letter to an Elected Official Competition:
The competition engages students around public policy issues, the political process, and with their elected officials. Since 2008, hundreds of teams from all Periclean colleges and universities have participated in this competition. Every year, a panel of judges with significant legislative experience selects the five winning letters written by teams of students from Periclean campuses. Winning teams are selected based on their letters and their advocacy proposals.

Letters have proposed innovative solutions on a wide variety of issues ranging from implementing food waste management systems at the national level to advocating for financial literacy services for struggling families, to supporting redistricting that ensures equal access to a quality high school education in Pennsylvania. Letters are sent to elected officials throughout the United States.

Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ 2017-2018 D4D on the Road™ Workshops

We are pleased to partner with Midwest Academy for 2017-2018 D4D on the Road. The workshops provide both novice and seasoned activists alike with the skills they need to develop advocacy and education campaigns through effective messaging to policy makers, community leaders, and the public. Workshops are open to all including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.

During D4D on the Road™ workshops, seasoned organizers and activists will walk participants through the critical steps in running successful campaigns to win on issues they are passionate about.

Often, when we think about the world we want to see, it is difficult to know where to start to bring about change. To be effective, organizers must be able to translate the problems they see in their communities into effective solutions and then build thoughtful strategies to win those solutions. Effective strategies simultaneously build strong community groups and leaders and better position our movements for future wins.

The workshops will introduce a systematic framework to help participants identify solutions to problems they are concerned with and then build winning strategies to make change. Through small group exercises and role plays, with trainer feedback, the daylong session takes students from researching a problem to analyzing solutions, developing strategy, building people power and meeting effectively with decision-makers. Participants will leave with concrete tools, which they can put to use in a wide variety of public policy settings and efforts. Examples will be drawn from topics including climate change, immigration reform, LGBTQ rights, mass incarceration, race and inequality, and reproductive rights.

Project Pericles is excited to be partnering again with Midwest Academy, a national training institute committed to advancing the struggle for social, economic, and racial justice. From local neighborhood groups to statewide and national organizations, Midwest Academy has trained over 25,000 grassroots activists from hundreds of organizations and coalitions. Midwest Academy teaches an organizing philosophy, methods, and skills that enable people to actively participate in the democratic process.

Project Pericles Prepares for Student Choices - Student Voices (SCSV)

Project Pericles is gearing up for another year of Student Choices - Student Voices, our student engagement and voter registration program with a newly revised guidebook. SCSV is comprised of student-led task forces on our member campuses. These task forces work to encourage civic participation by hosting an array of events and activities about national issues for fellow students, faculty, staff, and community members. Students inspire their peers to organize similar activities on their own campus. Project Pericles facilitates information and strategy sharing between task forces. Pericleans have successfully registered thousands of voters and distributed important information about candidates and issues.

SCSV fuels engaged citizenship for students and community members by (1) sharing information and resources about candidates and important issues, (2) creating a space for constructive dialogue, and (3) supporting voter registration on campus and in the community. The three components of SCSV build on the collaborative spirit of our national consortium.

Program Directors Conference Hosted by Chatham University

The Project Pericles Program Directors Conference is scheduled for October 18 and 19 at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. We thank President David Finegold and Project Pericles Program Director Dana Brown for hosting us and are looking forward to learning more about Chatham and to many interesting conversations with our colleagues from around the country.

Project Pericles would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Pericleans Presidents and Provosts.

New Periclean Presidents and Provosts
Presidents:
Marjorie Hass, Rhodes College
Marvin Krislov, Pace University
Harold Martin, Jr., Morehouse College

Provosts
Jennifer Drake, The Evergreen State College
Nira Herrmann, Pace University
Michael Hodge, Morehouse College
Debra Liebowitz, Drew University
Kathryn Graff Low, Bates College
Dale Scalise-Smith, Widener University
Mark Schneider, Ursinus College
Wendy Sternberg, Occidental College
Matthew Wood, New England College

Featured Articles

Building Faculty Capacity at Bates College: The 2016 Publicly-Engaged Pedagogy Learning Community
By Darby K. Ray, Bates College

In a typical year at Bates College, around 800 students take at least one community-engaged learning (CEL) course. Almost every academic department and program offers one or more CEL course. However, developing a CEL course takes time, expertise, and strong working relationships with prospective community partners. How can busy faculty members fit such things in while maintaining their commitment to excellence in the classroom and their discipline? We might assume that the prudent course of action would be to earn tenure before venturing into the sometimes unpredictable waters of community-engaged teaching, but a strong argument can be made that the ideal time to integrate CEL into a course is during the initial phase of course design and implementation. At Bates, where the Harward Center for Community Partnerships provides comprehensive support for CEL, increasing numbers of pre-tenure faculty are successfully integrating community-engaged work into their courses, producing enhanced learning experiences for students, positive benefit for community partners, and gratifying teaching experiences for faculty (Continued in last section).

Project Pericles Program Director from Goucher and Colleague Run "Civic Engagement Boot Camp" in Austria
By Cass Freedland and Lindsay Johnson, Goucher College

In fall 2016, a compelling call came to our Arsht Center office at Goucher College- would we be interested in travelling to Vienna, Austria to conduct an intensive "American-style leadership and civic engagement boot camp" for Austrian college students as part of a collaborative program between the U.S. Embassy in Vienna and Cultural Vistas, a non-profit organization dedicated to global educational outreach? We were stunned and a bit curious; "Boot camp" isn't really our style when it comes to teaching, particularly around topics like leadership and civic engagement. And in Austria? Did we still remember the German we'd learned in high school? We knew that we had a unique opportunity in front of us. We both were up for a challenge that would push us outside of our professional comfort zone, and while we had no idea of how to approach such a task, we enthusiastically agreed to take a plunge (Continued in last section).

Pericleans in the News

Swarthmore College Develops Engaged Scholarship and Sustainability Fellowships - Students Take on Waste

The Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility helps faculty, students, and staff to connect Swarthmore College's curriculum to a range of local and global communities. We approach this goal through the lens of "Engaged Scholarship," Ernest Boyer's term for teaching and research that apply "the rich resources of the university to our most pressing social, civic, and ethical problems." The President's Sustainability Research Fellowship (or PSRF-pronounced "pea-surf"), now entering its second year, represents one of Swarthmore's most exciting, new examples of Engaged Scholarship. Sustainability Director Aurora Winslade, Lang Center Executive Director Ben Berger, and Environmental Studies Director Betsy Bolton together developed the PSRF program, which draws funding not only from the Lang Center and the Office of Sustainability but from President Valerie Smith's office. PSRF matches small teams of advanced students with staff and faculty mentors to research, develop, and implement projects in a year-long course and associated internship.

In 2016-17, the program's pilot year, ten undergraduate Fellows undertook a rich range of activities: redesigning Swarthmore's waste management system, developing a 3-year vision for campus woods stewardship, implementing Swarthmore's internal carbon price, launching behavioral change strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and creating a system to track sustainability progress across campus. Faculty mentorship helped to connect the students' paid internships-which ordinarily would be extracurricular activities-to their formal curricular studies, thus making the internships co-curricular.

As so often happens with Engaged Scholarship, the students' collaborations took on an emergent quality and paid dividends that faculty did not originally envision. In tackling waste reduction, for instance, Fellows united custodial staff and students by redefining waste as an environmental justice issue. In championing the campus woods, Fellows connected faculty and students with grounds and arboretum staff to engage not only the College provost and vice-presidents but also neighboring communities. As students learn, lead, and innovate, they apply their knowledge to pressing needs-true to the mission of Engaged Scholarship-and produce replicable solutions for our campus and beyond.

Profile in Engagement - Dillard's Project Pericles Program Director, Dr. Gary Clark
[Excerpted from an article by Rachel Graham in Dillard Today Magazine]

From the radio to the television, and in front of the classroom, Gary M. Clark's objective of empowering others remains unwavering. He's spent 27 years at Dillard University, where he is the Barron Hilton Endowed Professor in Political Science and director of the Dillard University Center for Law and Public Interest. In April, he was a panelist for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ATF'S 2017 Diversity and Career Impact Program Business Meeting. He's working with the bureau to create a pipeline for Dillard graduates to join the organization, which is seeking to diversify and replenish its aging workforce. He serves as the secretary/treasurer of The Finance Authority of New Orleans, where they help people buy homes. "No one walks away from us unhappy-our money is below prime," commented Clark.

On his weekly radio show, Dr. Clark's Living Classroom, he covers topics ranging from community and financial literacy to religion, and for him, it all relates to politics.

"My college political science professor once told me, 'every time is a great time to be a student of politics'," recounts Dr. Clark. On the heels of one of the most storied presidential campaigns in U.S. history, and as the City of New Orleans prepares for what could be a landmark municipal election, that sentiment has even greater relevance.

As the Revius O. Ortique, Jr. Endowed Chair for Politics and Social Thought, Clark strives to instill a respect for social responsibility that will stay with students beyond their time at Dillard. One part of The Center for Law and Public Interest's dual track assists students interested in the legal profession with LSAT preparation, undergraduate research opportunities, and internships. The Center's Justice Revius Ortique, Jr. Mock Trial Courtroom provides trial advocacy training and simulation and attracts noted legal practitioners and social justice advocates. It has also hosted mock trial competitions and preparation, and in February, it was the site for oral arguments by the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Center's Public Interest arm lets students explore civic engagement in the political process both at home and abroad. Through Project Pericles, students learn how to engage the community, be effective lobbyists, and impact key decision makers. At the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, students are trained in community organizing and issue identification.

"Simply put, my professional goal has always been to help individuals' dreams come true," says Clark. He is a well on his way to doing that for the students he teaches and the community he serves as he leads the Center in its mission to help students understand their role in improving politics.

Chatham University Students Engage with Elected Officials and Community Members

In spring 2017, public policy students in Chatham University's Policy Analysis Field Experience course got up close and personal with the policymaking process. Political Scientist Dr. Jennie Sweet-Cushman partnered with a local borough council to identify a policy making opportunity for her students and then guided the students in researching and developing a new borough facility use policy proposal for the council. The students met with elected officials and community stakeholders, identified community needs and priorities, researched similar policies and legal considerations, created criteria for evaluating numerous policy options, and drafted a complete policy for the council's consideration. The students prepared a briefing book on the issue for all members of council and presented their final recommendation at a council meeting in April. The recommendation was entirely developed and written by the students.

Throughout this process, students not only experienced the real-world application of the policymaking process, but were also faced with considering challenges that arise for local government officials. The students had to consider difficult issues of equity and fairness and wrangle with legal considerations to develop a policy that would work best, if not perfectly, for community residents. The work also benefitted the borough, as they are a small community with few resources and a primarily volunteer council that would have struggled to devote the time and resources needed to systematically investigate and formulate facility use policy options.

The Policy Analysis Field Experience course supports Chatham University's general education requirement that students complete three credits of professional engagement, one credit of which is an in-major service learning credit.

Building Faculty Capacity at Bates College: The 2016 Publicly-Engaged Pedagogy Learning Community (Continued from Featured Articles)

One new avenue of support for both pre-tenure and tenured faculty is the Publicly-Engaged Pedagogy (PEP!) Learning Community, which saw a successful launch during the fall semester and whose fruits were abundantly evident during the subsequent winter and spring terms. The PEP Learning Community was open to all interested faculty members, with an emphasis on pre-tenure faculty. Originally designed for a cohort of six faculty members, the program was expanded to ten to meet faculty demand from across the disciplines. Those ten faculty members met together once a month during the fall semester -- joined by Harward Center staff members and buoyed by dinner from a local restaurant -- to develop a new community-engaged learning course. Attention was paid to diverse topics and tasks, including student learning outcomes, syllabus language, course assignments, community engagement ethics, logistics like transportation, and the all-important question of community reciprocity and benefit. In addition to the monthly cohort gatherings, PEP faculty had one-on-one consultations with Harward Center staff to support their course design and partnership building.

As a result of the PEP Learning Community, six new community-engaged learning courses were taught for the first time during the subsequent winter and spring terms. These courses featured diverse community-engaged projects in Politics, Environmental Studies, Dance, Religious Studies, Physics and Astronomy, and Biology. For example, in a Religious Studies course on Death, Dying, and Afterlife, professor Alison Melnick's students complemented their learning about Asian religious traditions with class visits from local leaders of Western traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. At the end of the semester, these leaders and others from their congregations joined the Bates students for a Community Teach-In featuring interactive poster presentations by Bates students to convey their learning about Asian traditions, followed by a dessert reception and small-group discussions, facilitated by Bates students, during which members of the different Western religious traditions were invited to share insights and practices from their own traditions while learning about traditions different than their own. In a large introductory course in Astronomy, professor Aleks Diamond-Stanic gave his students the option of doing a community-engaged project, and 77 out of 83 of them jumped at the chance, working together to produce a wildly successful "Astronomy Extravaganza" for local school children and their families. In Biology, professor Andrew Mountcastle challenged students in his Science Communication course to develop skits and interactive presentations to engage Lewiston Middle School students in learning about contemporary issues in science. The middle schoolers came to Bates on two different days to enjoy creative and compelling lessons about a range of topics from ocean acidification (featuring a memorable Nemo skit) to bee colony collapse (with an audience-participation activity featuring Queen Bey). At the end of each presentation, middle school students took a moment to jot down their learning and questions, and these reflections eventually formed the basis for small-group discussion with Bates students over lunch. In Literatures of Agriculture, professor Misty Beck's students enjoyed a range of community-engaged experiences, including volunteer placements at Whiting Farm in Auburn, the Somali Bantu Community Association, and the New Roots Cooperative Farm. Based on these immersive experiences, students created written and photographic portraits of their experiences with agriculture, some of which they shared at the end of the semester when they visited an active Grange Hall in Vassalboro, where they learned about the traditions of the grange and shared their findings about the trends and developments they observed in their fieldwork. In professor Jacob Longaker's Experiences in Policy Process course, students complemented classroom learning about the behind-the-scenes negotiations, maneuvering, and strategy that shape public policy by engaging in hands-on work with community partners advancing legislative initiatives at the state level. Some of the projects were primarily research-based, with students collecting information to help with education and advocacy efforts; other projects were more advocacy focused, with students communicating directly with members of the voting public about specific issues. Partners included the Maine Prisoner's Advocacy Coalition, the Prevent Harm environmental advocacy group, the Maine People's Alliance, Equality Maine, and the American Cancer Association.

"This has been the richest teaching experience I've had in 25 years. Truly. Straight up." Such was the testimony of one of the PEP faculty participants who reflected on this first foray into community-engaged teaching. While there were certainly bumps along the way, the inaugural PEP cohort members were unanimous in their appreciation for the opportunity to journey with each other, with Harward Center staff, and with their students and community partners into the land of publicly-engaged pedagogy. Feedback from students and partners was equally positive (perhaps a story for another day).

About the author - Darby K. Ray is Director, Harward Center for Community Partnerships; Donald W. & Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement; and Project Pericles Program Director; Bates College

Project Pericles Program Director from Goucher and Colleague Run "Civic Engagement Boot Camp" in Austria (Continued from Featured Articles)

In fall 2016, a compelling call came to our Arsht Center office at Goucher College- would we be interested in travelling to Vienna, Austria to conduct an intensive "American-style leadership and civic engagement boot camp" for Austrian college students as part of a collaborative program between the U.S. Embassy in Vienna and Cultural Vistas, a non-profit organization dedicated to global educational outreach? We were stunned and a bit curious; "Boot camp" isn't really our style when it comes to teaching, particularly around topics like leadership and civic engagement. And in Austria? Did we still remember the German we'd learned in high school? We knew that we had a unique opportunity in front of us. We both were up for a challenge that would push us outside of our professional comfort zone, and while we had no idea of how to approach such a task, we enthusiastically agreed to take a plunge.

For context, the Generation Next Youth Leadership Initiative (GNYLI) was designed as a year-long program, to give Austrian university students the opportunity to examine the dynamic processes of refugee and migrant integration while learning the principles of civic education, leadership theory, and community engagement through an intensive leadership development program in the United States.

By early December, we contemplated our decision to say "yes" to this proposal. Having wrapped up a difficult fall semester, in a politically-charged academic landscape at Goucher, and an even more politically-charged United States, there was so much to consider -cultural differences around leadership, language barriers, societal relationships with refugees in Europe, leadership content choices (Ever googled "leadership?" There are over 70,000 reference books.), jet lag, did Austria have the kind of flip-chart paper that sticks to the walls, or would we need to bring tape, etc. Not to mention the status of U.S. Embassies around the world, and our concerns about student participants' interest in "American-style" leadership workshops. Our worry list grew long.
In late December, we learned the 20 students participating in our workshop would be the same students traveling to the United States over the summer. Goucher would host the first week of their US experience. This allowed us to think about the experience in chapters, structurally breaking our learning experience into two parts - setting the leadership framework and introducing definitions while in Austria, then deep-diving during our time together in Baltimore.

As the March 11th date approached, we packed our bags with warm clothes, Goucher promotional materials, exchanged a few Euros, and made our way to the gorgeous city of Vienna with colleagues from the Cultural Vistas program. The U.S. Embassy in Vienna hosted our first meeting with the students, at the Hard Rock Café, on a trendy street loaded with well-known chain restaurants and cafes. We took public transit with the large group from the hotel, and there was nervous energy all around. Several of the students already knew each other, from local organizations and student leadership clubs, but many were meeting for the first time. As we noshed on sliders, spring rolls, and other American delights, mixing and mingling with staff from the State Department, we felt anxious about what was ahead of us, although the giddy energy and warmth from the students put us largely at ease. The Chargé D'affaires assured us that this was indeed a wonderful and unique group of Austrian students, one that he happily remarked represented a much more diverse Austria than we'd likely see while in Vienna. Several of the students were refugees themselves, from Syria and Iraq, while others had migrated as young children from war-torn countries. Many were Muslim, a minority religion in Austria, and were in leadership roles with national associations for Muslim youth. All were engaged, in some capacity, in work or research around migration and refugee resettlement and integration. We were all in for quite a learning experience from each other.
The next day, we headed to Amerika Haus, a cultural center operated by the US Embassy. We had been tasked to create a "Leadership Bootcamp: American-style", which we took literally and seriously. We brought our obnoxious American energy and immediately asked our students (several in their late 20s, one a doctoral student studying mathematics) to stand up and engage in good, old-fashioned American name games. We had them answer silly questions while in wagon wheel circles and dove into more serious questions with a four-corners exercise. In a matter of an hour and a half, we found that the majority of our students believed that great leaders were born (not developed) and that leaders must be charismatic to be effective. As we expected, most of our participants believed that they did not have real leadership qualities, because they weren't "exceptional". As our large and small group conversations dissected top-down leadership norms in Austria, we introduced coalition-building, social change theory, and relational leadership models. We introduced the concept of followership and challenged charismatic leaders. We marched through 100+ years of American leadership theory and discussed the advancing needs of "leadership" in our societies. We used music as a metaphor for leadership and explored the differences (both good and bad) between the orchestra and improvisational jazz. A budding conversation about access and equity for Muslim youth in leadership structures in Austria was started, and it pushed a few beyond their comfort zones. We started to see perspectives shift as many students had lightbulb moments about their own engagement in local communities, reconsidering their positions that they were "not leaders". We were having a blast, and the ten hours flew.

As the end of the workshop neared, we gathered our tired but enlightened group in a circle and asked participants what they learned or valued most about the day. Many shared that they were used to sitting quietly in a lecture room and having information transmitted to them - the interactive and reflective methods we had chosen were initially a bit jarring (as was our incessant smiling), but ultimately something they genuinely enjoyed and deeply appreciated. They loved the small group problem-solving activities we'd woven into the day and the frequent opportunities for reflection and feedback. We clearly learned the value of making time stand still - we dedicated the time that was needed to each discussion, rather than worrying about pushing through all the content in this one venue. After all, we had a week to fine-tune our message once these remarkable young adults came to Goucher College. The program wrapped up with many hugs, and excitement about the next leg of the journey in July.

With great anticipation, we were reunited the second week of July. The strength of the bond between us was startling, and it felt like the months between the workshops had been one long night's sleep. Despite some jet lag and a rough transition to the "over-air-conditioned" rooms of the US, we dove into difficult topics together. Over six days, we explored racial identity, race-power-privilege dynamics in leadership, the Baltimore Uprising following Freddie Grey's death, historical redlining of neighborhoods in cities throughout America. We delved into personal leadership styles, using a few more of those "American-style" activities and introduced them to several of our great refugee-serving community partners in Baltimore. The students had an intimate conversation about leadership with our president, Dr. José Bowen, attended a Baltimore Orioles baseball game (we lost to the Cubs), drank soda with ever-present ice cubes (not a standard item in Austria), devoured locally-made ice cream and other Maryland standards (Old Bay, Berger cookies, and crab cakes). The students enjoyed free time at the mall, playing volleyball on the Res Quad, and spending time with Goucher students. Thanks to a faculty colleague, we had a two-hour crash course in religion in America and spent time visiting with the Islamic Society of Baltimore.

When the week was over, we saw transformed people in front of us - intellectually, emotionally, and socially. They had come to understand themselves and appreciate the strengths that each brought to the conversation. They grappled with top-down leadership versus bottom-up community organizing and realized that they could be effective leaders and followers. They pushed each other on issues of equity in Austria, several bravely sharing their experiences of being marginalized in leadership experiences, and their perceptions around racism in Austria and the United States. They asked hard questions of their guest lecturers, explored parallels in the refugee crisis happening in Europe and the attitudes and policies towards refugees in America, and spent a lot of time laughing (and snapchatting).
They left us for a red-eye flight to Des Moines, Iowa (which, we learned, they loved, thanks to some amazing home hospitality, some fresh corn, and visits with organizations serving refugees). Up next was a three-day trip to San Diego and a visit to the US-Mexico border before they headed back east for an opportunity to shadow organizations in Washington, DC. We joined the students in DC for their final session where they presented their action plans, the cumulative work they had begun at our boot camp in March and continued to write (or re-write, as the case was for most) during their three-week tour.

The students presented thoughtful, informed action plans that had integrated so many of the ideas and concepts we'd been discussing together for the last five months. We saw a shift in language and in approach-an articulate and developed perspective on coalition-building, shared leadership, and civic capacity. They were both critical and impressed with what they'd seen in the four US cities; impressed with the creativity and horizontal leadership they saw over and over again, and yet critical of the radically shifting landscape of US law and policy related to refugees and migrants in America. More than once, they questioned the idealism of the "American Dream", and yet found truth in shared narratives about the capacity to make great things happen with brave, bold ideas, and a willingness to sometimes fail. They've proposed collaborative organizations, hoping to leverage each other's contacts and existing relationships. They want to strengthen their work collectively and returned to Austria feeling empowered and connected. Though they are a diverse group of students, from varied disciplines, they found ways to support each other's strengths and deeply respect each other's professional aspirations.

As we offered a bittersweet auf wiedersehen to the students, we found ourselves remarkably emotional about our experience. A stark departure from our initial hesitancy, we craved more time together, more opportunities to sit individually and share ideas about the projects they will launch in Austria this fall. We wanted more boot camps. More silly activities. More opportunities to push and challenge and grow together. But just as our four-hour Sound of Music tour in Salzburg taught us, all great things must come to an end. And we know this is just the beginning for this talented group of students. They will be launching careers and writing books and sharing lectures with this wonderfully-rich intercultural exchange in their arsenal (and a newfound capacity to endure ice cubes and air-conditioning), and we've been changed, too.

Our advice to you? When asked to do something completely outside of your comfort zone, take the plunge, acknowledge your fears and trust your instincts. And order the Wienerschnitzel.
About the authors - Cass Freedland is the France-Merrick Director of Community-Based Learning and Project Pericles Co-Program Director, Goucher College. Lindsay Johnson is the Associate Director, Community-Based Learning, Roxana C. Arsht '35 Center for Ethics and Leadership; Goucher College.

Project Pericles Needs Your Support!
Please consider making a donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner.

To subscribe or to submit Periclean-related information for publication,
email garret.batten@projectpericles.org.

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College
Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University
Dillard University * Drew University * Elon University
The Evergreen State College * Goucher College * Hampshire College
Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College
New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University
Pitzer College * Reed College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Skidmore College
Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College
Whitman College * Widener University * The College of Wooster
National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss
Assistant Director: Garret Batten
Program Associate: Elisabeth Weiman
Program Intern: Victoria Gonzalez

Board of Directors
Founder and Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang (1919-2017)
Chair: Neil R. Grabois
Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman
Treasurer: David A. Caputo
Presidents' Council
Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College
Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College
National Board of Advisors
Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved.

Spring 2017 Newsletter

6/13/2017

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 13, Spring 2017

To view the Newsletter with photos: Spring 2017 Newsletter

Winter 2016-2017 newsletter

2/8/2017

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 13, Winter 2016-2017

To view the Newsletter with photos: Winter 2016-2017 Newsletter

spring 2016 newsletter

6/1/2016

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 12, Spring 2016

To view the Newsletter with photos: Spring 2016 Newsletter

The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential element of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.

National Office News:
D4D Letters to an Elected Official Competition Winners

Teams from Allegheny, Berea, Carleton, Hendrix, and Pitzer were selected as the winners of the 2016 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ Letters to an Elected Official competition. The competition engages students around public policy issues, the political process, and with their elected officials. Since this program began in 2008, we have received outstanding submissions from student teams at our Periclean colleges and universities. This year was no exception. For the first time, students also shared a project proposal explaining how they would use the $500 award.

The letters submitted proposed innovative solutions to a wide variety of issues ranging from implementing food waste management systems at the national level, to advocating for financial literacy services for struggling families, to supporting redistricting to ensure equal access to a quality education in Pennsylvania. The teams sent their letters to elected officials throughout the United States.

A panel of external experts reviewed the letters. An elected official who served as one of the external evaluators wrote, "let all these students know what wonderful and impressive work they did," adding that "if [she] had received any of the letters from a constituent, [she] would have been blown away." Another outside evaluator commented that the letters were, "so well written and inspiring."

We look forward to working with the five winning teams of the 2016 D4D Letters to an Elected Official competition throughout the 2016-2017 academic year:

Hayden Moyer '17 and Walter Stover '17 (Allegheny College) wrote to Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) about online privacy and adapting Europe's Right to be Forgotten law in the United States. They will develop a website "promoting digital privacy rights and serving as a database" for cases supporting their endeavor.

Tran Nguyen '17 and Megan Yocum '17 (Berea College) sent State Senator Jared Carpenter (R-KY) a letter discussing the expansion of Kentucky's 2013 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The pair plans to create a public service announcement and present it to elected officials during informational meetings.

Sarah Goldman '17 and Jenni Rogan '19 (Carleton College) penned a letter to Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) regarding the 2014 Farm Bill Crop Insurance and Subsidies Policy. The students will create a mentorship program for students to work with farmers in their state and participate in a training program during the summer of 2017.

Katie Dobbins '17, Emma Gaither '18, Casey Hawkins '18, and Tejas Soman '18 (Hendrix College) wrote to State Senator Joyce Elliott (D-AR) about restricting local media sources from publishing the names of juveniles charged as adults for crimes. The team will partner with student organizations in Arkansas to publicize their issue and organize a concert to raise awareness. The students also plan to hold a panel discussion and a letter writing campaign to petition elected officials to address the matter.

Amina Farías '18 and Eleanor Neal '18 (Pitzer College) wrote to Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) on the issue of Medicaid-funded mental health treatment and recovery support programs. Working with a community partner to "prevent recidivism while promoting community reintegration," they will create and distribute a resource guide to support women with mental illness and substance abuse problems as they pursue self-sufficiency and stability.

Debating for Democracy (D4D) Student Spotlight
As part of the D4D Letters to an Elected Official competition, we will be highlighting some of the participating students and will provide updates on all of the teams as their projects progress during the 2016-2017 academic year.

See the last section for pieces from the Berea, Hendrix, and Pitzer Teams.

Project Pericles Works as Institutional Partner with The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE)

The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University recently named Project Pericles as a partner.
NSLVE provides colleges and universities with information about their student registration and voting rates. It also provides information about "campus climate for political learning and engagement and correlations between specific student learning experiences and voting." Most of our Periclean Colleges and Universities are participating in the study.
Multi-Campus Research Project on Student Well-Being and Civic Engagement

We commenced work this spring on a multi-campus research project that examines the impact of civic engagement on student well-being. We are undertaking this work in collaboration with Bates, Goucher, Hendrix, and Pitzer. The project looks at the impact of incorporating civic engagement in the curricula on the well-being of college students. We are examining a number of high-impact practices including first-year seminars and community-based learning courses. In addition, close attention will be paid to the impact of programs on Pell-eligible and first-generation students. This work is supported by Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtoP).

Our collaborators explain below what excites them about the project and this line of inquiry:

"Bates College is delighted for the opportunity to revisit the question of the impact of civic engagement on student well-being. The education of the whole person and the cultivation of informed civic action are animating priorities at Bates, which makes this cross-institutional study of the implications of civic engagement for student flourishing of particular interest to us. We look forward to joining with others in asking questions such as these: Does the full-bodied integration of the civic into the academic enterprise -- not as an afterthought or footnote but as integral to student learning and experience -- have a demonstrable effect on students' resiliency, self-efficacy, or responses to stress? When student learning is focused not only on the edification and preparation of the individual, but also on the transformation and flourishing of communities, are students (and communities) more likely to flourish? We need to be asking these kinds of questions in higher education, and this study invites us to do so. We are grateful for the opportunity." - Darby K. Ray; Director, Harward Center for Community Partnerships; Donald W. & Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement; and Project Pericles Program Director; Bates College.

"Goucher College is so pleased to be a contributing member of the Project Pericles team investigating the impact of incorporating civic engagement in the curricula on the well-being of college students. Our institution has been deeply engaged in this very conversation for the past two years, and we believe that working in a focused way with our distinguished colleagues will help us ask better questions and more knowledgably define key factors that link community-based work to psycho-social well-being. We will also tie this work to our conversations around the equitable dissemination of high impact practices (e.g. community-based learning, study abroad, internships) throughout the entire student body." - Cass Freedland, France-Merrick Director of Community-Based Learning, and Project Pericles Co-Program Director, Goucher College.

"Our goal is to gain a fuller understanding of the distinctive impact of our required first semester course, The Engaged Citizen, on our students both in that first year and then as they follow their civic engagement pathways across their time at Hendrix College. Of course, this impact includes the students' social and emotional development as young adults honing their citizenship skills." - Jay Barth, M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics; Director of Civic Engagement Projects; and Project Pericles Program Director, Hendrix College.

"Pitzer College is thrilled to participate, once again, with long-time partners Project Pericles and Bringing Theory to Practice, in the important work of studying the impact of civic engagement on student wellness. This unique focus on well-being within community engagement is one that does not get nearly enough attention across schools and disciplines but is one we believe is a crucial component to why students choose to participate in community engagement initiatives. With this study, we hope to garner evidence that students' sense of belonging, purpose, and community, both on campus and off, is deeply enhanced when they are a part of meaningful and reciprocal community-campus partnerships for social change. We believe that aims to enhance the well-being of our students (as well as our communities) must be at the forefront of our efforts to educate, support, and inspire those in and connected to Pitzer College around our core values of social responsibility and social justice." -Tessa Hicks Peterson;Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement; Assistant Professor, Urban Studies; and Project Pericles Program Director, Pitzer College
We are pleased to be undertaking this work with such a distinguished group of scholars and colleagues.
Get Out the Vote: Student Choices - Student Voices (SCSV)

Since last November, our campuses have registered thousands of voters and distributed important information about candidates and issues. Pericleans have shared their ideas and inspired other campuses to organize similar activities.

Periclean campuses are invited to participate in Student Choices - Student Voices (SCSV) Week, September 24-30, 2016. SCSV Week overlaps with National Voter Registration Day on September 27 and represents a concerted effort at the national level to engage students, faculty, staff, and community members in the election process. During SCSV Week, Periclean campuses across the country will organize activities connected to the 2016 Presidential Election.

See the article in Pericleans in the News for an update on the Pitzer College SCSV team.

About SCSV

With the guidance of our Program Directors and Christine Martin, our Program Manager, we have relaunched SCSV, a favorite program of Gene Lang's, to engage students in the democratic process. SCSV seeks to strengthen political engagement across campuses by encouraging the active participation of eligible voters in the American democratic process by (1) sharing information and resources to encourage students and community members to be knowledgeable about candidates and issues, (2) creating a space for dialogue, and (3) helping to register students and community members to vote. Program Directors nominated students on their campuses to join the SCSV national taskforce, a network committed to sharing innovative ideas and practices that is developing guides and other voting resources.

Periclean Students to Travel to California for College Debate 16

Seven Periclean Campuses (Bates, Goucher, Hendrix, Macalester, Morehouse, Spelman, and Wagner), are sending delegates to College Debate 2016 at Dominican University of California. Delegates will travel to San Rafael in June to learn how to organize issue-focused events at their schools. They will then return in September for the 2016 College Convention focused on national youth issues. Project Pericles has been an active member of the CollegeDebate 16 working group.

Pericleans in the News:

Swarthmore Names Periclean Faculty Leader as New Director of the Lang Center
(Adapted from an Article by Mark Anskis on Swarthmore College Website)

Swarthmore College announced that Associate Professor of Political Science Ben Bergerwill assume the position of executive director of the Lang Center for Civic & Social Responsibility for a five-year term. Berger has served as the interim executive director of the center since July 2015. "During that time, he has demonstrated his energetic commitment to the social justice mission of the Lang Center, and an ability to bridge disciplinary boundaries in pursuit of deepening its support of the curriculum," says Provost Tom Stephenson.

Berger credits Jan R. Liss, executive director of Project Pericles, for his successful transition into the role, noting that his experience as a Periclean Faculty Leader and Project Pericles Program Director helped prepare him for his current position.

Going forward, Berger wants to expand the center's circle of usefulness to even more faculty colleagues and students.

"Eugene Lang '38 always aspired for his center to connect the curriculum to the community, and I look forward to sharpening the details and definitions of 'community,' " Berger says. "I want us to connect our rigorous teaching and research to the campus community and its many, vital student groups; to the local communities of Chester and the greater Philadelphia region, where we aspire to create reciprocal partnerships and to co-create knowledge; to more far-flung communities around the country and the world; and to the community of scholars and activists who share knowledge via publications and conference presentations for the purpose of social amelioration."

Berger, who will continue teaching in his new role, studies the intersection between normative political theory and empirical political science. His current projects include a book on civic education and a book chapter on democratic theory. His book, Attention Deficit Democracy: The Paradox of Civic Engagement, won the North American Society for Social Philosophy Book Award for the best social philosophy book published in 2011. With Jan R. Liss, Executive Director of Project Pericles, Berger co-authored the White Paper, The Periclean Diamond: Linking College Classrooms, Campuses, Communities, and Colleagues via Social and Civic High Engagement Learning. He received his A.B. from Princeton University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Pitzer Student Choices - Student Voices (SCSV) Succeeds with Major Push for Voter Registration
By Dana Nothnagel, Pitzer College '19 & SCSV Coordinator and Tricia Morgan, Civic Engagement Center Assistant Director, Pitzer College

The Pitzer College Student Choices - Student Voices (SCSV) team dedicated this last semester to voter registration, absentee ballot applications, and debate watching events. The team has helped register almost 300 students to vote or apply for absentee ballots this year.

Since Pitzer draws its students from almost every state, the small group has become expert on the registration and absentee process for each state. They have worked closely with the Pitzer registrar to ascertain which students need information about out-of-state voting. Upon learning how difficult absentee voting can be, the SCSV team has been determined to make sure that a confusing process does not get in the way of any student who wants to exercise his or her right to vote.

In addition, they have been in close collaboration with other groups on campus to host registration tables at snack nights and speaking events. The Pitzer team put on door-to-door registration drives and tabled outside of the dining hall to ensure that every student has the opportunity to register. By connecting with the study abroad office, they have ensured that they provided students who will be abroad for the general election with information on how to vote overseas. The group has also submitted a proposal to have voter registration as an official part of the first-year orientation week.

Through the Community Engagement Center, Pitzer's SCSV team worked to connect with local high schools and other partner organizations to host voter registration drives in the local community. SCSV has also worked closely with campus affinity groups to host special voter registration events. Debate-watching events hosted in dorms have been successful and generated political conversations among students. The team is especially proud of these events because many students that attended may not have watched the debates otherwise.

The team is also creating infographics to post around campus that explain candidates' stances on many issues, the difference between a caucus and a primary election, and the delegate system. After the general election, the team is planning on connecting further with community engagement partners and participating students to continue raising awareness of local political issues that affect our communities.

Pace Gets Out the Vote
By Daniel Botting, Associate Director of Project Pericles, Pace University

The Vote Everywhere Ambassadors have been busy! The Pace Vote Everywhere Ambassadors collected 259 voter registration cards this spring, bringing their total up to 544 for the year. They reached that number by dormstorming, clipboarding in the dining halls, tabling at events, presenting to Introduction to College Life courses, and more. Leading up to, and on Primary Day in New York, they postered to remind students of the Primary date and to help students with 'day of voting logistics'.

In addition, Pace distributed information on where Pace community members could find non-partisan resources on the candidates. They worked with Residence Life to have set times throughout the day where students walked together to their polling site. Vote Everywhere Ambassadors organized two debate-watching events in residence halls. The screenings were followed by a discussion on the debates and the impact of the youth vote. Two Political Science faculty and a campaign professional participated.

Bates Holds Dialogue on Criminal Justice Reform
By Sam Boss, Associate Director for Community-Engaged Learning and Research, the Harward Center, Bates College

A full-day symposium at Bates College put community-engaged learning students into conversation with a range of off-campus interlocutors. The symposium, "Chaos or Community: Conversations on Criminal Justice Reform in Maine," was designed to respond to both national and local concerns about structures of inequity in the U.S. criminal justice system by promoting collaboration and continuing dialogue among a range of stakeholders. The day began with "inside/out" perspectives shared by formerly incarcerated individuals and continued with panel presentations featuring U.S. Attorneys, local law enforcement and corrections officials, leaders of local advocacy groups, and Dr. Kaia Stern of the HarvardPrison Studies Project. Bates students also shared results from semester-long community-engaged projects on incarceration reform.

With more than two million people behind bars, the United States has the highest rate of incarceration of any nation in the world. Maine has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the country, but that rate has increased 300% since 1980. An ongoing heroin epidemic threatens to drive these figures upward. As increasing attention to the human and financial costs of mass incarceration has intensified calls for reform from across the political spectrum, the symposium offered a venue for sharing ideas, establishing partnerships, and laying a foundation for collective action among diverse stakeholders. Students in Associate Professor of Religious Studies Cynthia Baker's Human Suffering course put theory into practice throughout the semester by working on a range of community-engaged projects, from serving as respondents in correspondence courses with incarcerated persons to developing a juvenile justice curriculum and a short video featuring the experiences of adults in recovery from addiction.

Widener Students Travel to D.C. to Study Portrayal of Presidential History

This spring, Widener University students enrolled in Contemporary Issues in PoliticalEngagement and The American Presidency traveled to Washington, D.C. for an Urban Excursion focused on all things presidential.

"This trip allowed students to see how the presidency is portrayed in historical memorials and museums. Understanding this form of public history and its importance to educating people about democracy really helped to tie together some of the major themes from The American Presidency and Contemporary Issues courses," said Associate Professor of Political Science Wes Leckrone.

The students visited the graves of Presidents Kennedy and Taft at Arlington National Cemetery. Next, the students witnessed a play at Ford's Theatre centered on the assassination of President Lincoln. Students also visited the presidential display at the Smithsonian and walked to the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.

"The students in Contemporary Issues will create short videos educating junior high students about presidential history and the election process. The trip to D.C. allowed for our students to conduct research and film historical sites," said Associate Professor of Communication Studies Angela Corbo. Widener communication studies students plan to give these videos to local middle school teachers to use when covering presidential and election material.

Corbo and Leckrone have worked together throughout the semester with their students to promote interest in political issues among a middle school age group and to educate young students on the presidential election process.

Students in Contemporary Issues have also focused this semester on the additional goals of raising awareness about the rising costs of higher education and lobbying for legislation to make college more affordable. The students organized a panel on March 21 that featured Associate Professor of Political Science Jim Vike (Project Pericles Co-Program Director) and Associate Professor of Higher Education Timothy Sullivan, Nicole Crossey '16 and Widener President Julie E. Wollman discussing how students can manage the costs of higher education, the history and current status of higher education in America, the experience of today's students regarding financing a degree and ways to advocate for individual scholarships and legislation that impacts higher education funding. The students headed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 12 to participate in Student Lobby Day, where they discussed their concerns about college costs with state legislators.

Lang College Student Wins Community Service Award

Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School student, Sade Swift, Urban Studies '17, was recognized by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities with an Independent Sector Student Community Service Award, as well as a $500 scholarship.

Swift has worked to confront social justice issues, including gender inequality, the portrayal of women in the media, gun violence, and police brutality. She was also one of two Lang College student delegates at the 2015 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference. As part of the conference, Swift wrote a letter protesting police brutality and the use of stop-and-frisk tactics by the New York Police Department. The letter was addressed to New York Assemblyman Karim Camara (D).

New School President David Van Zandt accompanied Swift to Albany in March to receive the award.

"Being selected as a recipient ... is very humbling and reminded me that as a Afro-Latina, I have have a long way to go before justice is served to my people," said Swift. I want to recognize all the women of color that came before me to make this possible. La lucha sigue, pero se peude."

Active in the community, Swift works with the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, a program designed to promote leadership and activism among young women and helped found the youth contingent to Justice League NYC, where she fights for justice for people of color.

Donation to Project Pericles in Honor of Jim Vike

Project Pericles received a gift in honor of Jim Vike's years of service as the Associate Dean of the Social Science Division at Widener University. Vike's colleagues at Widener University made the donation.

"I was honored to hear that my colleagues decided to recognize my upcoming departure as Associate Dean in such a fashion," said Vike. "I think it reflects very positively on our collective commitment to furthering the cause [of civic engagement]."

Vike will continue in his role as Associate Professor of Political Science. The move will allow him to devote more time to students and Project Pericles as the Co-Program Director at Widener. Vike is an active member of the Project Pericles community and we look forward to our continued collaboration.

Debating for Democracy (D4D) Student Spotlight (continued from first section)

Berea Student Describes Her Motivation to Write on Kentucky Senate Bill 180
[The bill allows business owners to deny services to LGBTQ+ customers based on religious beliefs.]
By Megan Yocum '17

We selected this particular topic because it affects many people within Kentucky. Just because gay marriage is now legal, does not mean that the LGBTQ+ community has conquered all of its challenges. There are still many discriminatory issues that the alphabet community face, such as housing discrimination and Senate Bill 180. This bill is critical for all Kentuckians because the state is attempting to discriminate against its own citizens. I know people who will be negatively affected by this senate bill, which is one reason why we decided to team up and work on this together. We are hoping to bring awareness to the public about the problems with Senate Bill 180 through a PSA video that we will create.

Hendrix Students Describe Their Passion for Juvenile Justice Reform
By Katie Dobbins '17, Emma Gaither '18, Casey Hawkins '18, and Tejas Soman '18

It started as an assignment for our Public Policy class. When looking through possible topics, we eventually decided on juvenile justice. Among all the juvenile justice related topics, the issue of media protection stood out. We knew little about the process of juveniles being charged as adults, but were outraged at the instantaneous way their names could be released to the press. This issue is especially relevant in our community because of gang-related crimes involving juveniles in the Little Rock area. Once we were aware of the current lack of protection for juveniles, it was an easy issue to write about because we truly believe it needs to be changed.

Katie Dobbins - I am a double major in biology (with an emphasis on plant science) and Spanish. This semester, I decided to take a public policy course in which the professor encouraged us to participate in the Debating for Democracy (D4D) Letters to an Elected Official competition. Once we realized how widespread the problem was, we knew we needed to focus our letter on the issue. While conducing our research, we consulted with several experts in the field to broaden our understanding of the problem.

Emma Gaither - I am an environmental studies major (with a biology focus) and Spanish minor. I serve as a representative for the Environmental Concerns Committee at the college. From Little Rock, I enjoy spending time outdoors and reading. This project and the interest it sparked in me were completely unexpected, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working on this juvenile justice issue.

Casey Hawkins - Originally from Little Rock, I am a politics major and serve as the managing editor of the student newspaper, The Profile, and as a member of student senate. In my free time you can probably find me working at Chipotle or relaxing with my three dogs. I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to be working with Project Pericles.

Tejas Soman - I am an environmental studies major with a politics minor. I enjoy the outdoors whether it is camping, hiking, rock climbing, or mountain biking. I work in the Hendrix bike shop and am a member of the student senate's financial committee. I am also from Little Rock.

Pitzer Students Describe Their Passion for Healthcare Reform
By Amina Farías '18 and Eleanor Neal '18

Amina Farías - For the past two years I have helped facilitate art classes for the women at Prototypes. While teaching them arts and crafts, I have had the privilege of seeing their patience, determination, and strength. Every week they inspire me, no matter how tired and stressed they may be. It is from this place that I decided to work on the D4D Grant with Eleanor and I cannot tell you how appreciative I am to be able to give a little back to the women who give me so much every week.

Born in Washington D.C., I have always had a passion for learning, community service, and art. After working in the New York Film business for five summers, I decided to focus on community service, working at Pine Ridge Native American Reservation during my senior year in High School. During my gap year, I traveled to South East Asia and got certified in Wilderness First Response, Animal First Aid and Elephant Caregiving. I spent the rest of my time in Asia setting up clinics in rural Thailand and Laos as well as working with domestic pets and elephants. At Pitzer, I study International Politics, Economics, Psychology, and the Middle East. I am also vice president of the Mental Health Alliance.

Eleanor Neal - I am concerned about public health and social justice, and hope to use my background in policy to promote equity and inclusion in my community. This year, I am an intern at Prototypes Women's Center in Pomona, California, where I help facilitate the Mindful Arts & Crafts program for women in recovery. Inspired by both the women and staff at Prototypes, I hope to continue focusing my work on maternal and child health after graduation. At Pitzer, I study Spanish and Human Biology.

As an ally for women in recovery, I believe that prison diversion promotes positive community reintegration. Prototypes works with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to operate the Community Prisoner Mother Program that allows women to remain with their children throughout all stages of recovery. On behalf of Prototypes, I addressed Representative Judy Chu to advocate for evidence-based alternatives to incarceration. Prototypes is a clear example of how government can collaborate with community partners on programs that strengthen parent-child relationships and decrease the likelihood of social service interventions. I hope that programs like Prototypes will continue to receive the support they need from both state and federal legislators.

Project Pericles Needs Your Support!
Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner.

To subscribe or to submit to submit Periclean-related information for publication,
email garret.batten@projectpericles.org.

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College
Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University
Dillard University * Drew University * Elon University *
The Evergreen State College * Goucher College * Hampshire College
Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College
New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University
Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College
St. Mary's College of Maryland * Skidmore College * Spelman College
Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College
Widener University * The College of Wooster
National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org

Board of Directors
Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang
Chair: Neil R. Grabois
Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman
Treasurer: Alison R. Bernstein
Presidents' Council
Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College
Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College
National Board of Advisors
Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved.

fall 2015 newsletter

12/14/2015

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 12, Fall 2015

To view the Newsletter with photos: Fall 2015 Newsletter

Having an increased understanding of the particular approaches campuses are implementing and of the best practices associated with them.
How to enhance advising to help students become aware of opportunities.
Sharing information between campuses implementing similar approaches and promoting potential collaboration.
Providing a venue for campuses to learn about alternative approaches that other campuses are pursuing.
Listening to our member institutions to gain a better sense of how Project Pericles and our consortium can continue to advance this work.
Utilizing new technologies for enhanced tracking and other innovative strategies for improving student outcomes.
Sharing our insights with the wider higher education community

CCP was made possible through the generous support of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation.

Program Directors' Conference at Bates College
By Christine Martin

Bates College graciously hosted the 2015 Project Pericles Program Directors' Conference on November 10-11. The annual conference is an unparalleled opportunity for Program Directors to utilize the knowledge and expertise of the consortium to strengthen civic engagement and social responsibility (CESR) on Periclean campuses and in their communities.

Project Pericles thanks President Clayton Spencer; Darby K. Ray, Director, Harward Center for Community Partnerships; Donald W. & Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement; and Project Pericles Program Director; and Kristen Cloutier, Assistant Director, Center Operations, Harward Center for Community Partnerships, and the entire Bates College community for hosting.

On the first day, Jay Barth, M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics, Director of Civic Engagement Projects, and Project Pericles Program Director at Hendrix College led a discussion of successful approaches to engaging students in policy work and action. The group also enjoyed a lively discussion of the emerging sub-field of social entrepreneurship and innovation led by Paul Schadewald, Associate Director, Civic Engagement Center and Project Pericles Co-Director, Macalester College.

Program Directors' Conference Attendees after Lunch at the Nutrition Center of Maine in Lewiston
The two-day conference included a dinner at President Clayton Spencer's house, a poster session led by current Bates students on their ongoing civic engagement involvement in areas including: affordable housing, America reads, and STEM education for elementary students. At lunch, the program directors enjoyed a panel discussion with Bates alumni describing how their undergraduate experience affected their paths.
Two of the alums on the panel have gone on to careers in politics. Nate Libby '07 is a state Senator in Maine representing District 21, while Ben Chin '07 is the Political Engagement Director of the Maine People's Alliance. Chin came in first out of five candidates in the Lewiston mayoral race, but failed to secure a majority, losing a tightly contested runoff.

Chin wrote: "I came to Lewiston in 2003, on a scholarship to Bates College. At the time, I wanted to graduate and go to seminary to become a pastor. But in 2004, our former city administrator tried to displace over 800 people from their homes through the so-called "Heritage Initiative." That's when I got involved with the Visible Community and Maine People's Alliance. After a year of hard work, we stopped the project. Eventually I decided community organizing would be a better fit for me than seminary."

Chin is one of countless students to discover a passion for civic engagement through community involvement orchestrated by a Project Pericles Program Director on their campus. The self-discovery journeys shared by the students and alumni reaffirmed the importance of our work promoting CESR as intrinsic elements of higher education.

On the second day, Christian Rice, Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement, Director, Bonner Leader Program and UCARE, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Project Pericles Program Director from Ursinus College talked with the group about the importance of establishing clear learning outcomes for assessment purposes. This was followed by a presentation by Emily Kane, Professor of Sociology and Periclean Faculty Leader, Bates College, on community based-research and her experiences as a Periclean Faculty Leader. The group spent the remainder of the day discussing strategies to foster greater collaboration between Periclean colleges and universities and approaches for leveraging our institutions considerable expertise in designing and running civic engagement programs.

Carnegie Corporation of New York Hosts the 2015 Presidents' Council Meeting

The Presidents' Council Meeting took place on November 5 at Carnegie Corporation of New York. We were pleased to have a conversation with Carnegie's President, Vartan Gregorian; Geri Mannion, Program Director, U.S. Democracy and Special Opportunities Fund; and Ambika Kapur, Officer of Special Projects, National Program.

Our Presidents had a productive meeting led by the Presidents' Council Chair, Richard Guarasci, President of Wagner College. They highlighted best practices from programs on their campuses, sought ways to increase collaboration between institutions, and discussed how Project Pericles can best advocate for the importance of civic engagement within higher education.

Thank you to Carnegie Corporation of New York, Vartan Gregorian, Geri Mannion, Amkika Kapur, and the entire Carnegie staff for hosting our Presidents.

Student Choices - Student Voices Helps Engage Students in the Election Process
By Christine Martin

Eugene M. Lang founded Project Pericles in 2001 to tackle the growing political cynicism and civic disengagement among young people. In 2016, Project Pericles will celebrate its 15th anniversary, and to honor Mr. Lang's vision we are expanding a program he cherished: Student Choices - Student Voices (SCSV).

As part of the SCSV program, Project Pericles shared with its Program Directors helpful materials to engage students in the election process. The goal of SCSV is to both inform voters about the candidates and issues at stake while supporting efforts to register citizens to vote. To that end, a reference table containing registration deadlines and requirements by state was distributed in the beginning of the fall semester. Program Directors also received a document with activity ideas and useful websites to share with students and faculty. A Bingo game was created as a means to generate excitement and open a space for dialogue to accompany debate screenings. TurboVote offered a special promotion to Periclean colleges and universities to help track registration on campus and to facilitate the voting process.

On October 14th, Wagner College students gathered to review how effective and ineffective dialogue can shape political perceptions through the Democratic and Republican Presidential Debates. This conversation was paired with the SCSV Bingo created by Project Pericles. The Bingo activity not only helped engage students with complex socio-economic problems, it provided a fun, interactive way to discuss democratic ideals.

Carleton Builds New Online Assessment Tool with Support from Project Pericles and The Teagle Foundation
By Daria Kiefer (Carleton College, '13)

Carleton College's Creating Cohesive Pathways to Civic Engagement mini-grant from The Teagle Foundation and Project Pericles, in collaboration with Goucher College, made possible a new and comprehensive assessment system for our campus. Getting to this point has truly been a collaborative effort. Adrienne Falcόn, Director of Academic Civic Engagement and Project Pericles Program Director and Cindy Plash, the Center for Community and Civic Engagement's (CCCE) administrative assistant. Work on overhauling the assessment system commenced during the summer of 2014. Since then, the CCCE has worked closely with information technology services (ITS) at Carleton in order to create a system that can accurately capture the breadth and depth of students' engagement. "These things take a lot of time and patience," says Plash, "but it is well worth it."

In the new system, all hours that students spend on civic engagement are captured in the same online location. At Carleton College, student civic engagement falls under several different categories: curricular, co-curricular, and paid positions. By working with ITS, the CCCE was able to create a system in which supervisors and peer leaders can record hours for students in each of these categories. Students, supervisors, and students' advisors can then pull up the summary of each of these categories in "the Hub", an online portal for personal student information. For example, one student fellow at the CCCE, Shira Kaufman '16, is able to see all of the Academic Civic Engagement classes she has taken, including her Sociology and Anthropology Methods course, as well as all of the hours that she logged for Eat the Lawn and the Food Recovery Network, two ongoing programs for which she volunteers. In addition, she sees all of the hours that she has logged through her paid position as a CCCE fellow during the year. Being able to see all of these contributions in one place allows Shira to get an overview of how she is spending her time. Shira's engagement demonstrates a clear passion for all things related to food. She and her advisor can use this information to help Shira understand how her interests have shifted and evolved throughout her time at Carleton and to plan for her future.

As Periclean campuses continue to make a case for civic engagement, data collection tools such as Carleton's can help us tell our story. "When someone asks me how many hours of programming a program has done since the dawn of time....well, we can at least pull information as far back as 2004," says Plash. Reports can be pulled by issue area, program, term, or student and the data can be manipulated in a variety of ways. These reports have been useful both to show funders what is happening as a result of their support, and to help the CCCE understand itself better as it continues to evolve in response to student needs. Throughout the past year, Falcόn has also refined surveys that get at some of the more qualitative aspects of civic engagement work, such as student learning outcomes and community cohesion. Taken together, these assessment tools create a more holistic picture of the CCCE's work.

Kelly Scheuerman, Program Director for Civic Engagement Pathways at the CCCE, says that even a first look at the data has helped illustrate the ways in which the CCCE engages with students. One important find, for example, is that more freshman volunteer than any other class year. Those students then go on to engage with their community in a great variety of ways. "[The data] makes a strong point for how important this work is to students," Scheuerman says. "We always had the sense that we are working with a lot of students, but now we are illuminating the robustness of the various programs, and the extent to which students are involved in not just one, but multiple ways."

Liss visits Dillard

In October, our Executive Director Jan Liss visited Dillard University. She had a very productive meeting with President Walter M. Kimbrough; Vice President for Academic Affairs Yolanda W. Page; Associate Professor of Political Science and Project Pericles Program Director Gary Clark; Nick Harris, Director, Community Development; and Dillard's two student delegates to the 2015 D4D National Conference, Jacquelyn Fuller '16 and Hope Hill '16.

Liss said, "It was extraordinary meeting with Fuller and Hill, who described what a life changing experience the National Conference had been for them and how they are working with Dillard students to empower them." Clark emphasized that the National Conference was one, among many, benefits of membership in Project Pericles.

Inauguration of MaryAnn Baenninger as Thirteenth President of Drew

On October 1, Drew University celebrated the inauguration of MaryAnn Baenninger as the thirteenth President of the University. Jan Liss represented Project Pericles at inauguration events.

As part of the festivities, Drew organized a symposium on engagement between the University and the city. Professor of English and Project Pericles Program Director Amy Koritz moderated "Stewardship, Service, and the Common Good: Re-Imagining University-City Partnerships" featuring Ira Harkavy, Founding Director, Netter Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania.

This was followed by "Organic Community: Universities, Cities, and Diversity" moderated by Christopher Taylor, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of Comparative Religion and featured Caryn McTighe Musil, Senior Scholar and Director of Civic Learning and Democracy at the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Liss Travels North to visit New England College and Address Faculty

On December 4, Project Pericles Executive Director Jan Liss visited New England College. Liss had a breakfast meeting with President Michele Perkins. President Perkins has led the college through a significant strategic planning and repositioning process, emphasizing a curricular focus on the civic and natural environment, as well as innovative pedagogical strategies such as experiential learning.

Liss addressed members of the faculty providing an overview of Project Pericles approach to civic engagement and discussed our emphasis on embedding civic engagement in the curriculum. An approach, she noted, that New England College clearly shares.

Liss also met with Provost and President for Academic Affairs Mark Watman, who was a key architect behind the strategic planning process. She had lunch with Periclean Faculty Leader and Co-Director of Creative Writing Maura MacNeil; Co-Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Leadership and Project Pericles Program Director Inez McDermott; and Associate Professor of Writing Brian Partridge, who previously served as the Project Pericles Program Director. She later visited with Wayne Lesperance, Co-Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Leadership and Professor of Political Science.

PERICLEANS IN THE NEWS:

Chatham Program Director Dana Brown Named to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women

Dana Brown, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women in Politics at Chatham University and Project Pericles Program Director is one of 26 members appointed to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. Under that capacity, Brown will advocate for legislation and policies benefiting women and girls in the State of Pennsylvania. In addition, Brown also serves as a member of the Community Advisory Board for the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Center for Race & Gender Equality, the Executive Women's Council and its Women on Boards Committee, and 74% Kitchen Cabinet at Robert Morris University Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management. She is a Pennsylvania delegate to the Vision 2020 program at the Institute for Women's Health and Leadership at Drexel University, the Ellis School's Council on Innovation, and serves on the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

Project Pericles congratulates Dana Brown on her latest appointment, and wishes her continued success in all her endeavors.

Widener Celebrates Constitution Day with Workshop on Engaged Citizenship by Project Pericles Co-Program Director James Vike
Widener University's Constitution Day 2015 featured Jim Vike, Associate Dean of the Social Science Division and Project Pericles Co-Program Director, who facilitated a workshop on the topic: "Civility and Engaged Citizenship." The workshop introduced Vike's research on variables that influence political engagement and activism. The audience engaged in an interactive discussion addressing the nature of contemporary civic life and the generally accepted expectations and responsibilities of modern citizenship. Vike examined the competing perspectives of civic duty and engaged citizenship and factors that may promote informed and civil political participation in a deeply polarized era. During the event, Vike presented a summary of campus initiatives that promote a culture of political engagement. Multiple levels of engagement that embed both curricular and co-curricular programs and activities are intended to develop the civic knowledge of undergraduate students.

The Office of Civic Engagement hosted Constitution and Citizenship Day on September 17. In collaboration with the Student Government Association, the Office of Civic Engagement hosted a voter registration drive, polling for the upcoming presidential election, and provided students an abridged version of the U.S. Citizenship test. Fact sheets were provided to educate students about the candidates' positions on important issues. Additionally, the sophomore class of the Presidential Service Corps Bonner Program participated in training about citizenship.

Bates Professor Named New England Resource Center for Higher Education and the Center for Engaged Democracy Finalists for the 2015 Lynton Award
(Excerpted from the New England Resource Center for Higher Education Website)

Assistant Professor of Education Mara Tieken from Bates College was one of eight scholars selected by the New England Resource Center for Higher Education and the Center for Engaged Democracy at Merrimack College for the 2015 Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty. The pool of candidates represents a range of institutions and disciplines.

Ernest Lynton framed faculty scholarly activity as inclusive, collaborative, and problem-oriented work in which academics share knowledge-generating tasks with the public and involve community partners and students as participants in public problem solving. The community-engaged work of nominees serves as a model of the public scholarship that Lynton championed.
Leveraging Our Knowledge: Wagner College Implements Food Recovery Program after Visit to Carleton College

Assistant Professor of Sociology Bernadette Ludwig, Wagner College's Project Pericles faculty liaison attended the Project Pericles Program Directors' Conference at Carleton College in the fall of 2014. There she learned about the Food Recovery Network (FRN) that Carleton College created. Ludwig returned to Wagner College and started a program this fall with the help of students Kirsty Hessing and Erica Curry, Associate Professor of Anthropology Celeste Gagnon Anthropology, and the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement. Since then, Wagner College students have been recovering food twice a week, averaging about 80 pounds of food that is donated to City Harvest, which distributes it to various soup kitchens around Staten Island. Wagner students have shown an overwhelming support for the program and the FRN leadership team at Wagner is in the process of adding additional recoveries.
All Wagner College students participate in multiple experiential learning experiences throughout their time at Wagner. Most of this happens in placements outside of the Wagner Campus. The FRN is among the first efforts that enables students to become involved in a social justice issue right on campus.

Upcoming Presentations:
CIC Presidents Institute - Jan Liss and Periclean Presidents Mary Ann Baenninger (Drew University), Jonathan Lash (Hampshire College), and James H. Mullen, Jr. (Allegheny College) will present a session on the Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement work at the Council of Independent College's Presidents Institute, January 7, 2016 in Miami Beach.
Project Pericles will hold a panel presentation, "Expanding our Reach: Innovative Approaches for Increasing Impact and Exposing Diverse Students to Curricular and Co-Curricular Programming Incorporating Civic Engagement " at AAC&U's Annual Meeting on January 21, 2016.

Kristen Cloutier, Assistant Director, Center Operations, Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Bates College; Cass Freedland, France-Merrick Director of Community-Based Learning, Goucher College; Jan Risë Liss, Executive Director, Project Pericles; Ella Turenne, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement, Occidental College; and Marcine Pickron-Davis, Chief Community Engagement and Diversity Officer, Widener University will present on findings from Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement.

Campus Compact, 30th Anniversary Conference, Boston, MA -
Project Pericles will present a panel: "Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement: Intentionality in the Organization and Integration of Programming for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility."

Debating for Democracy - D4D on the Road
D4D on the Road workshops are designed to provide novice and seasoned political activists with the tools and tactics they need to get their message across to policy makers, community leaders, and the public. Whether participants are interested in service, public policy, issue-based organizing, or advocacy campaigns, this highly effective workshop gives participants the core skills needed to start a new project or expand an existing one. They empower participants to effectively work within the democratic process to address pressing social, civic, and economic issues. Through these non-partisan workshops, Project Pericles has reached more than 3,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members on campuses over the past seven years.

During the fall semester, we held five workshops at Berea College with Centre College, Lindsey Wilson College, and Union College; Chatham University with Allegheny College and The College of Wooster; Drew University; Hendrix College; Occidental College with Pitzer College and Pomona College;

January 23 Macalester College (visiting campus: Carleton College), St. Paul, MN
February 19 Pace University (visiting campuses: The New School and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), New York, NY
February 26 Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
March 19 Ursinus College (visiting campuses: Goucher College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Swarthmore College, and Widener University) Collegeville, PA

Project Pericles Needs Your Support!
Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner.
To subscribe or to submit to submit Periclean-related information for publication,

email garret.batten@projectpericles.org.

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College
Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University
Dillard University * Drew University * Elon University *
The Evergreen State College * Goucher College * Hampshire College
Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College
New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University
Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College
St. Mary's College of Maryland * Skidmore College * Spelman College
Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College
Widener University * The College of Wooster
National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org

Board of Directors
Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang
Chair: Neil R. Grabois
Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman
Treasurer: Alison R. Bernstein
Presidents' Council
Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College
Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College
National Board of Advisors
Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved.

summer 2015 newsletter

8/5/2015

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 11, Summer 2015
To view the Newsletter with photos: Summer 2015 Newsletter

winter 2015 newsletter

3/5/2015

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 11, Winter 2015

To view the Newsletter with photos: Winter 2015 Newsletter

National Office News
Eugene M. Lang Foundation Makes $4.325 Million Commitment to Project Pericles

We are pleased to announce that Project Pericles will receive a $3 million endowment and annual gifts through 2021 from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation totaling $4.325 million. The strong commitment of the foundation to the work of Project Pericles ensures that we will continue to thrive for years to come. We are grateful to the foundation for its support.

This substantial gift is an important investment in Eugene M. Lang's vision and Project Pericles' mission of championing civic engagement in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community. It plays an important role in ensuring our continued success.

Jane Lang, Acting Chair of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation, wrote that "The Eugene M. Lang Foundation is proud to be associated with Project Pericles and its achievements. In recognition of Project Pericles' excellent work to advance the cause of civic engagement in higher education, and in honor of our Board Chair and the founder of Project Pericles, Eugene M. Lang, we are delighted to make [this] commitment."

We thank our Periclean Presidents, Program Directors, and their colleges and universities. It is their hard work, dedication, and support that has done so much to advance the cause of civic engagement in higher education and beyond. This gift is a testament to all that we have achieved together and to all that we will do in the future.

This support will enable Project Pericles to continue to provide its member institutions with the excellent programming that defines us - from research projects like Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement to the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program™, the Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference and D4D on the Road™ to our collaboration with the Project Pericles Program Directors on each campus.

We thank the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for this generous gift and many years of support and look forward to a bright future.

The New School to Host Project Pericles Debating for Democracy National Conference

On March 19 and 20, Project Pericles will hold its Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference, hosted by President David Van Zandt and The New School. Student leaders from Periclean campuses will be joined by college presidents, faculty, and foundation, government, and community leaders, and members of the media for a series of panels and workshops with leading experts.

All of the panels and workshops will focus on how students can take effective action on critical public policy issues. Topics include climate change and the evolving environmental movement; media and millennials; how to effectively advocate; and the role of non-profits in society. The conference will feature two interactive workshops, the first with leaders of successful non-profits about developing powerful narratives and the second on effective issue-based messaging.

Student Teams to Present at Legislative Hearing

A highlight of the Debating for Democracy (D4D) ™ National Conference is the Legislative Hearing in which teams of student leaders will present and defend their original legislative recommendations to a panel of government officials. The Legislative Hearing provides five teams of Periclean students-who have competed to participate-a forum to articulate their solutions to some of today's most pressing public policy issues by presenting before a "Legislative Committee," including U.S. Senator Harris Wofford (D-PA); U.S. Congressman Thomas Downey (D-NY); and the Honorable Edwina Richardson-Mendelson. Teams will compete for $5,000 in prize money.

Each year, Project Pericles holds a Letters to an Elected Official Competition and more than 75 students from around the country write their elected officials about issues they are passionate about. The five teams with the strongest letters then compete in the Legislative Hearing. We received many excellent letters from our Periclean colleges and universities. The letters proposed innovative solutions on a wide variety of issues ranging from the Arms Trade Treaty, to living wages, to local farms and food, to reporting of sexual assault in the military.

The five Letters to an Elected Official that will be featured in the Legislative Hearings are:

Bates College, "A Letter in Support of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance Benefits for Non-Citizens ,"by Meghan Lynch, Eva Goldstein, and Ali Rabideau. This letter was sent to Governor Paul LePage (R-ME).

Carleton College, "A Letter in Support of Senate Resolution 40 and Current Diplomatic Negotiations with Iran," by Hannah Nayowith and Reilly Simon. This letter was sent to Senator Edward Markey (D-MA).

Macalester College, "A Letter in Support of a Death with Dignity Bill for Pennsylvania," by Sarah Coleman and Emmet Hollingshead. This letter was sent to State Senator Stewart J. Greenleaf (R-PA).

Occidental College, "A Letter in Support of an Amendment to SB 862 to Earmark Ongoing Cap and Trade Funds for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC)," by Adrian Adams and Karen Romero. This letter was sent to State Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-CA).

Rhodes College, "A Letter in Support of Net Neutrality by Reclassifying Internet Service as a Public Utility under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934," by Alexandra Dileoand Samuel Holder. This letter was sent to Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

At the Legislative Hearing on March 19, the winning team will receive a $3,000 award to develop an advocacy campaign related to the issue they wrote about. The four semifinalist teams will each receive a $500 award also to be used to develop an advocacy campaign to move their issue forward.

We commend all of the Periclean students who participated in the Letters to an Elected Official Competition.

Over the past eight years, hundreds of teams from all 29 Periclean colleges and universities have participated in the Letters to an Elected Official competition. Student leaders and activists have worked on a wide range of issues, including: fracking, education reform, the Dream Act, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and mountaintop-removal coal mining. They have met with their elected officials and organized campaigns to raise awareness on campus and in their communities.

Member of Swarthmore 2014 Letters to an Elected Official Competition Team Meets with American Ambassador to Peru

When Mackenzie Welch and Jason Mendoza submitted their Letter to an Elected Official on human rights and coca fumigation in Colombia, Mackenzie never imagined that it would lead to a lunch with the American Ambassador to Peru, Brian Nichols, but that is what happened.

Their submission "A Letter to Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) concerning Human Rights Considerations and Effectiveness of U.S. Sponsored Coca Fumigation in Colombia" was one of six winners of the 2014 Letters to an Elected Official Competition. The pair received a $500 award to move their issue forward.

Hoping to gain greater insight into United States eradication policies in South America, Mackenzie interned with the State Department in Peru. While there she spoke to a DEA Field Intelligence Manager and the U.S. Department of State: Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement Director for Peru. Mackenzie came away from these meetings with a greater understanding of the need to pair eradication with development projects. These meetings eventually led to a lunch with Ambassador Nichols.

In addition to these meetings, Mackenzie and Jason conducted research on eradication policies. With a deeper understanding of the issues around eradication, the pair plan to present Senator Menendez with their policy recommendations this spring. As ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of the architects of the Western Hemisphere drug eradication programs, Menendez is uniquely positioned to act on the pairs' recommendations.

Project Pericles Presents Panel at the 2015 AAC&U Annual Meeting

At the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Annual Meeting in January, Jan Liss, Project Pericles Executive Director, moderated a panel highlighting some of the work being conducted by Periclean campuses as part of Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement. Panelists discussed their unique pedagogical approaches to civic engagement as well as the projects they are undertaking with mini-grants received through Creating Cohesive Paths.

Jay Barth, M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics and Bill and Connie Bowen Odyssey Professor at Hendrix College, discussed The Engaged Citizen course, a newly implemented requirement for first year students, as well as a mini-grant project to offer faculty leadership workshops to assist with the incorporation of civic engagement components into sections of The Engaged Citizen course.

Laura Wenk, Dean of Curriculum and Assessment and Associate Professor of Cognition and Education at Hampshire College, provided an overview of Hampshire's civic engagement requirement that encourages students, with faculty assistance, to develop their own Campus Engaged Learning Activity course followed by a Community Engaged Learning Activity course. As part of their mini-grant, Hampshire is strengthening the documentation and reflection components of the experience by utilizing activities, e-portfolios, interviews, and workshops. They also plan on expanding student training prior to the students' engagement with the community.

Terry Bensel, Associate Provost, Director of the Gateway, and Professor of Environmental Science at Allegheny College, discussed structural changes the college is making to promote greater coherence among programs focused on civic engagement and social responsibility. Bensel is overseeing "The Allegheny Gateway [which], integrates curricular and co-curricular initiatives in the areas of global learning, civic engagement, and diversity. The Allegheny Gateway builds on the success (and continues to provide the programs and services) of the Center for Experiential Learning while expanding to include initiatives in the areas of diversity, undergraduate research, political participation, nationally competitive fellowship mentoring, and interdisciplinary studies."

Adrienne Falcόn, Director of Academic Civic Engagement in the Center for Community and Civic Engagement and Lecturer in Sociology at Carleton College, discussed Carleton's pathway approach that focuses on particular issue areas as a way of organizing and focusing the curricular and co-curricular. Falcόn notes, "While we also continue to offer the more episodic and unconnected experience, our efforts are more dedicated to the longer term evolution of individuals and projects that can lead to real social change." They are using their min-grant to strengthen assessment and tracking of students engaged in pathways.

Carleton's mini-grant also includes a partnership with Goucher College, Occidental College, and Spelman College designed to increase student awareness of civic engagement opportunities. Goucher is taking the lead on developing an online system for organizing and displaying civic engagement programing.

Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement is a three-year project to reconceptualize the organization and integration of programming for civic engagement and social responsibility (CESR) within higher education. With support from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation, our member colleges and universities are inventorying, mapping, strengthening, and developing more cohesive and integrated civic engagement programs to enable students in all disciplines to incorporate civic engagement into their courses of study.

Pericleans in the News

RPI Students Help Design Certificate in Civic Responsibility as Part of Project Pericles Funded Project

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is developing a Certificate in Civic Responsibility that they plan on introducing this fall. In January, 28 RPI students joined with Deans, faculty, and staff for an all day charrette to discuss the new certificate. The students focused on the many forms of civic engagement on campus that should be considered for inclusion in the certificate. Ten of the students will serve on a working group to provide feedback as RPI develops the certificate.

This work is undertaken as part of Project Pericles' Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement.

New concentration recognizes publicly engaged work of Bates students
By Emily Kane, Professor Sociology and Women & Gender Studies; Periclean Faculty Leader, Bates College

In spring of 2014, a group of Bates College faculty and staff began meeting to develop a new General Education Concentration (GEC) related to community and civic engagement. We are pleased to report that the new concentration, Knowledge, Action and the Public Good, was recently approved by the college's Curriculum and Calendar Committee. Its description captures the purpose and range: "This concentration is designed to recognize and cultivate two elements of the college's mission, informed civic action and responsible stewardship of the wider world. The concentration focuses on coursework and other learning experiences related to civic and community engagement at the local, state, regional, national and global levels, as well as exploration of the reciprocal co-creation of knowledge and its role in promoting the public good."

Faculty members from all corners of the college worked together with the staff of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships to come up with the new GEC. Drawing on the college's mission and the array of community engagement happening in our courses across the curriculum, as well as the range of richly reflective co-curricular activity already sponsored by the Harward Center, the concentration aims to help students deepen their understanding of engagement and reciprocity through the connections they will be encouraged to draw across experiences within a variety of departments, programs, and activities.

Students in the concentration will take courses tagged as "Community Engaged Learning" and other approved courses in at least three different departments or programs for a total of four courses. Opportunities for reflection and connection will be offered along the way, with a senior year reflection required as a culminating activity. We are delighted to have this new concentration available as one more avenue to advance community engaged work and recognize its importance to Bates students, faculty, staff, and community partners.

Widener Sociology Students Stand by Airport Workers in Support of Fair Wages
Excerpted from What's Up @ Widener

By 4:30 a.m. on a November morning, five Widener University students were driving up I-95 to the Philadelphia International Airport. They had no plans to board a plane. Instead, they were on a mission to support employees of aviation contractor Prime Flight who were protesting low wages and working conditions. By the next morning, the students found themselves on the local news, as well as in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Four of the students-Ashleigh Bothwell, Cory Barker, Nicolette Epifani, and Joseph McManamon-Simon-had learned about the Prime Flight workers' plight through in their sociology course, "Civic Engagement and Social Activism," taught by Dr. Stuart Eimer, Service-Learning Coordinator. The fifth student, Robert Miller, was inspired by Bothwell to attend the protest.

The day prior to the protest, Eimer had taken his students to a Philadelphia City Council hearing, which addressed legislation mandating that airlines contract with companies that have "labor-peace agreements." Many Prime Flight employees attended in support of this legislation and to further draw attention to the fact that they had yet to see pay increases despite an executive order signed by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in May raising the minimum wage for employees hired by airport subcontractors.

"The trip to the Philadelphia City Council hearing was meant to provide exposure to the way social activism intersects with the political process," said Eimer. "Afterward, the class met with four airport workers who told them about their personal lives, their jobs, the way their incomes kept them mired in poverty, and the reasons that they had decided to take action. Students told me it was as if the readings from a broad array of their classes had suddenly come to life. It was experiential learning at its best."

"After marching with the workers," Bothwell said, "I want to get the message across that, at the end of the day, these are people working hard to support families, but often can't make ends meet after a back-breaking, 40-hour work week."

"I take Widener's mission to educate engaged citizens seriously," Eimer said. "Given the current lack of civic engagement in America, all forms of citizenship need to be cultivated and I applaud the way students took the initiative to support the airport workers."

Swarthmore Project Pericles Co-Program Director Publishes Article Rejecting the Dichotomy between Civic Engagement and Research

Ben Berger, Associate Professor of Political Science, Project Pericles Co-Program Director, and Periclean Faculty Leader at Swarthmore College, published "Experience and (Civic) Education" in the January edition of PS: Political Science and Politics as part of a symposium on the "false divide" between research and undergraduate teaching. Berger describes how insights gained from observing his students in the local community of Chester as part of his course, "Democratic Theory and Practice," led him to critically examine the overly broad use of the term "civic engagement" resulting in an article and part of a book. Offering other examples, Berger discusses research generated out of classes designed as part of the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL)™ Program.

Berger and Jan Liss are currently working on an edited volume documenting more of the research generated by the PFL Program as well as its other accomplishments.

In 2010, with multi-year grants from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation, Project Pericles launched the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program. During the inaugural term of the program, 26 competitively selected Periclean Faculty Leaders created new Civic Engagement Courses (CECs) in 21 different disciplines; promoted civic engagement locally through lectures, town hall meetings, and public events; and advanced public scholarship nationally and internationally through publications and conference presentations.

Project Pericles Needs Your Support!
Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner.
To subscribe or to submit to submit Periclean-related information for publication,
email garret.batten@projectpericles.org.

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College
Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University
Dillard University * Drew University * Elon University * Goucher College
Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College
New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University
Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College
St. Mary's College of Maryland * Skidmore College * Spelman College
Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College
Widener University * The College of Wooster
National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org

Board of Directors
Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang
Chair: Neil R. Grabois
Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman
Treasurer: Alison R. Bernstein
Presidents' Council
Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College
Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College
National Board of Advisors
Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved.

fall 2014 newsletter

11/14/2014

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 11, Fall 2014

To view the Newsletter with photos: Fall 2014 Newsletter

National Office News
Project Pericles Announces 15 Mini-Grants to Member Campuses around the Country

In October, Project Pericles awarded 15 mini-grants to 16 Periclean Colleges and Universities, including a joint project between Carleton College and Goucher College. The projects focus on strengthening the integration, organization, and assessment of curricular and co-curricular programming for civic engagement and social responsibility. The awards were made as part of Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement, a three-year project designed to improve approaches to civic engagement in higher education.

Several campuses, including Occidental College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, are creating certificate programs for civic engagement as a way of highlighting civic engagement opportunities on and off campus and recognizing the commitment and work of students. Oxy is developing a "Civic and Community Engagement" certificate program. RPI's certificate will feature a capstone project with final presentations with community partners and the RPI community.

Chatham University, Drew University, and Goucher College are developing pathways models. Pathways are a means of organizing civic engagement opportunities around particular issues or themes that are of interest to student, faculty, and staff. Topics might include education, health, peacemaking and community conflict, and sustainable agriculture and food. Pathways are then used to highlight courses and co-curricular opportunities, internships, and service programs that relate to a given theme. Pathways also serve to advance collaboration between community partners, faculty, staff, and students all working on similar issues.

In addition, many campuses, including Allegheny College, Bates College, Hendrix College, Pitzer College, Ursinus College, and Widener University will offer faculty development panels, seminars, or workshops for faculty interested in integrating civic engagement and social responsibility into their courses. Most of the seminars and workshops will focus on how to successfully incorporate a community based experience into a course and will offer assistance in identifying and working with community partners.

As part of the joint Carleton and Goucher project, Goucher is developing an on-line interface that will allow students to build individualized pathways using key word searches for particular themes. And Carleton is designing online and other assessment tools for tracking students engaged in pathways. They will examine a host of questions around students' use of pathways including how and to what extent students are making use of the pathways and whether they come to pathways intentionally or by chance. The data will be used to refine Carleton's approach to pathways. During the course of the project, faculty and staff at Carleton and Goucher will be in regular communication and will visit each others' campuses. Spelman College and Occidental College will also participate in the joint project.

This work is made possible through the generous support of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation.

Mellon Foundation Hosts Presidents' Council Meeting

On November 5, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation hosted the annual Project Pericles Presidents' Council Meeting. Earl Lewis, President of the Mellon Foundation, welcomed the group. Eugene Tobin, senior program officer for Higher Education and Scholarship in the Humanities, led a luncheon discussion about Mellon's longstanding commitment to higher education, liberal arts colleges, and the humanities.

The group of 17 presidents had a lively discussion about the importance of developing structures to imbed civic engagement into the core of the collegiate experience and shared with each other approaches they are advancing on their own campuses to further this goal.

Project Pericles thanks Richard Guarasci, President of Wagner College and the Chair of Project Pericles Presidents' Council, for leading the meeting.

Periclean Students Use Political to Confront Violence Against Women
By Emily Lamberty '14, Carleton College

With support from their 2013 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ Legislative Hearing award for their letter addressing the need for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Carleton College students Emily Lamberty '14 and Gabriela Arteaga '14 hosted a spring panel, "What's Next for Minnesota's Women: VAWA One Year Out." Panelists included the Executive Director of Healing Outreach Prevention Education Center, a lobbyist for Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the Anti-violence Program Director for OutFront Minnesota! Panelists spoke to an audience of approximately 50 students and addressed how the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013 has impacted Minnesota women, how the funds are distributed, and where gaps remain in Minnesota policy. This event was a catalyst for Carleton students' political activism during the summer and into the legislative session.

More about D4D: Debating for Democracy (D4D) is designed to promote civic engagement and effective advocacy skills among a wide range of students. Through workshops, a national conference, and co-curricular programs on each campus, students acquire the tools and tactics they need to advance their issues and to get their messages across to elected officials, fellow students, community groups, and the media.

The D4D Legislative Hearing is a highlight of the D4D National Conference. This unique event provides students a forum to articulate their solutions to some of today's most important public policy issues. At the March 2013 conference, student teams from five institutions, including Emily and Gabriela from Carleton, were selected to participate in the legislative hearings based on the quality of the letters they sent to their elected officials. The final five teams were chosen from more than 60 letters that students sent to state and federal representatives. The finalists presented their issues to a panel of judges consisting of former elected officials: U.S. Senator Harris Wofford (D-PA); U.S. Congressman Thomas Downey (D-NY); U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Constance Berry Newman; and Mayor of Baltimore Kurt Schmoke.

Project Pericles Program Directors' Annual Meeting Hosted by Carleton

In October, Project Pericles program directors' convened at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota for their annual meeting. The highlight of the first day was dinner at President Steven Poskanzer's home, where President Poskanzer delivered impassioned remarks about the importance of civic engagement in higher education. During the meeting, the program directors gave each other status updates and feedback on their action plans for strengthening civic engagement that were generated during our July convening for Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement that was held at The Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

The second day featured a discussion of Carleton's pathways approach to civic engagement with a focus on three themes, Education and Student Development, Energy and Environment, and Food and Health. Program directors had the opportunity to visit with community partners involved with each pathway including the Tackling Obstacles, Raising College Hopes (TORCH) Program at Northfield High School; the GIS and Engineering Department for the City of Northfield; and the Just Food Coop. Program directors also spoke with faculty, staff, and students involved with each pathway.

Project Pericles thanks President Steven Poskanzer; Adrienne Falcón, Director of Academic Civic Engagement; Cindy Plash, Administrative Assistant for Community and Civic Engagement; Laura Riehle-Merrill, Director for Community Engagement and Student Leadership; and Kelly Scheuerman, Program Director for Civic Engagement Pathways; the Center for Community and Civic Engagement staff; and the Carleton Community for making this an extremely productive and interesting meeting.

Narrative of Success - Getting our Message Out about the Role of Civic Engagement
By Jim Vike, Associate Professor, Government and Politics; Associate Dean, Social Science Division; and Project Pericles Co-Program Director; Widener University

At the October Program Directors' Conference, an ad hoc working group of program directors met over a lunch session to discuss a concern that some influential individuals on or off our campuses "just don't get it" when hearing of civic engagement and social responsibility initiatives supported by Periclean member institutions. The group's charge was to identify and articulate a range of options for reporting on the importance and impact of these initiatives that would resonate with an audience less familiar with the benefits of civic engagement. The full range of options, which the group coined "Narratives of Success", included five distinct categories: Quantitative Outputs, Student Benefits, Community Benefits, Institutional Benefits and Partnership Benefits. The group created a PowerPoint presentation to reference and highlight the different narrative categories. And they are compiling specific examples from member campuses for the purpose of sharing best practices with others.

Pericleans in the News

First Widener Student Enrolls in Universities New Civic Engagement and Social Change Concentration
By Jennifer Kitchen, Widener University

Widener University student Nicolette Epifani became immersed in service since arriving on the Widener campus. The idea that she could also focus her coursework on making a difference appealed to her. Now as a sophomore, Epifani is Widener's first sociology major with a civic engagement and social change concentration.

A goal of the new civic engagement and social change concentration is to equip students with practical skills that will support them in their engagement efforts. Much of the coursework will help students understand social issues from multiple angles to provide more context for the civic engagement work they are currently doing and will do in the future."So many of our students are civically engaged, whether they are sociology majors or not," said Stuart Eimer, associate professor of sociology. "We think this new major meets a previously unmet demand for curriculum that allows our students to study social issues, think about how to create positive change, and develop the skills to make that change."

Carleton's Periclean Faculty Leader Receive Prestigious Fellowship
By Adrienne Falcón, Director of Academic Civic Engagement, and Project Pericles Program Director

Debby Walser-Kuntz, Carleton's Periclean Faculty Leader, was named as the college's second Broom Fellow for Public Scholarship. She will be spending time during the next two years developing her civic engagement efforts both in her own courses and as part of a public health sector at Carleton. This fits well with Carleton's institutional goal of developing more intensive civic engagement work in the STEM fields over the next two years, an initiative Carleton launched with the support of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Debby and other faculty and staff will be participating in a group she is launching dedicated to public health and engaged scholarship at Carleton.

Debby and Adrienne Falcón, Project Pericles Program Director, presented preliminary findings of a study of the effects of participating in different forms of civic engagement in biology courses at the annual conference of the International Association for Research in Service Learning and Civic Engagement in Omaha, Nebraska in the fall of 2013.

Over 70 Hampshire Students Work on Legal Campaign - Leads to Article in The Nation
By Ivana Staiti, Community Partnerships Coordinator, Hampshire College

The Community Partnerships for Social Change (CPSC) office - the central organizing body for Hampshire College Periclean programming - has been mobilizing student involvement with a local organization and campaign called Justice For Ayyub. This campaign, spearheaded by the local non-profit and community partner Arise for Social Justice, is one of several "Justice For" campaigns, part of the growing movement to raise awareness and resist racial profiling and the prison industrial complex.

Beginning last winter more than 70 Hampshire students have participated in pre-trial and trial hearings of Ayyub Abdul-Alim, an Afro-Latino Muslim man from Springfield MA, who says he was framed by the FBI on gun charges after refusing to spy on his Muslim community.

CPSC Lead Students, Emily Keppler and Muki Najaer, co-authored an article with national scholar Arun Kundnani (author of The Muslims are Coming! Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror) about the case in The Nation online, entitled How One Man Refused to Spy on Fellow Muslims for the FBI- and Then Lost Everything.

The research for the article was part of an independent study with Hampshire College Visiting Professor John Gibler, and the relationship with Arun Kundnani developed out of a CPSC-sponsored lecture that included Hampshire student groups, local community organizers, Arun Kundnani and Deepa Kumar, scholar and author of Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire. This campaign has been an incredible synergy of students, faculty, campus programs, community partners, and national scholars, bringing a local case to the national attention.

Hendrix Students Debate Mission Statement
By Kim Maslin, Professor of Politics, and Project Pericles Program Director, Hendrix College
Hendrix College's Project Pericles sponsored a forum discussion on the college's mission statement, which was last revised in 1997. The forum was co-facilitated by Sean Alexander '16 and President Bill Tsutsui. The audience was asked to place red and green stickers next to phrases and statements in the mission statement to which they reacted favorably and unfavorably.

The discussion centered around three issues: western intellectual tradition, aesthetics, and the role of place in a mission statement.

The audience was fairly critical of the section that states: "to examine critically and understand the intellectual traditions woven into the history of Western thought..."

Blair Causey '16 argued that despite the intellectual importance of Western thought it might not belong in the college's mission statement. "A lot of our students come with a broader perspective and although we're teaching Western thought... I just think it very limiting in terms of cultures," she said. "Hendrix prides itself in being kind of a melting pot with people with open minds and open hearts."

Asked if Hendrix's location belonged in the mission statement, MiMi Spjut, a junior from Texas, said, "[Arkansas] is part of our history and it is part of our identity but I don't know if it necessarily belongs in our mission statement just because our campus has such a diverse student body..."

Brady Rowe '17 agreed with Spjut but added that Arkansas "is also by definition our future...Until we decide to pick it up by its roots, we are an Arkansas college."

Project Pericles Needs Your Support!
Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner.
To subscribe or to submit to submit Periclean-related information for publication,

email garret.batten@projectpericles.org.

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College
Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University
Dillard University * Drew University * Elon University * Goucher College
Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College
             New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University
Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College
St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College
Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster
National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org

Board of Directors
Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang
Chair: Neil R. Grabois
Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman
Treasurer: Alison R. Bernstein
Presidents' Council
Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College
Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College
National Board of Advisors
Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved.

summer 2014 newsletter

8/8/2014

The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter
Volume 10, Summer 2014

To view the Newsletter with photos: Summer 2014 Newsletter

National Office News
Delegates from 25 Periclean Colleges and Universities Reconceptualize Organization of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility

In July, delegates representing 25 Periclean colleges and universities convened at The Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to discuss innovative strategies for organizing and integrating curricular and co-curricular programming focused on civic engagement and social responsibility (CESR). The meeting is part of Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement, a three-year project focused on improving approaches to CESR in higher education. Over the last year, teams on each campus collected comprehensive data on all CESR related curricular and co-curricular programs. Prior to the convening, institutions were paired with a Periclean peer to review survey material and discuss findings.

Representatives from diverse institutions gathered for discussions about organizing, integrating, and strengthening CESR opportunities on their campuses. Delegates shared advice, best practices, and innovative new approaches, including pathway models and specialized civic scholars programs.

Participants spent considerable time working on action plans to improve civic engagement programming on each campus, including enhancing CESR, addressing gaps, ensuring clear learning outcomes, creating effective pathways, and enabling students in all disciplines to incorporate civic engagement into their courses of study. Working in small groups, they provided each other with practical recommendations for the implementation of programs.

Colleges and universities participating in the convening are eligible to apply for mini-grants to assist with projects to strengthen curricular and co-curricular programming for CESR.

Participants were joined by Lauren McGrail, Executive Director of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and Loni Bordoloi, Program Officer at The Teagle Foundation, Neil Grabois, Chair of the Project Pericles Board, and Barbara Holland, consultant for Project Pericles.

We thank the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation for supporting this work and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund for hosting the convening.

Eugene M. Lang Elected Chair Emeritus

Our founder, longtime champion, and Chair, Eugene M. Lang was elected Chair Emeritus at the May meeting of the Project Pericles Board of Directors. Mr. Lang's insight, leadership, and determination made Project Pericles a reality. He is truly an innovator, seeing the need for a reinvestment in civic education long before most.
Mr. Lang has had a remarkable career in business and as a philanthropist. Recognizing his services to education, President Bush designated him a 'Point of Light' and President Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, this country's highest civilian award.

In 1981, he created the 'I Have a Dream' Program, which went on to become a nationwide enterprise operating in over 75 cities and providing sustained personalized guidance and support to many thousands of children (identified as 'Dreamers') throughout their K-12 years plus an assured college opportunity. Over the years, he has created a variety of innovative scholarships, academic and social performance incentives, fellowships, and chairs at many colleges. He has supported and endowed numerous internships, researchers, and socially-oriented projects for students and faculty.

We thank Mr. Lang for his inspiration and many years of service and look forward to building upon his groundbreaking work in higher education.

Neil R. Grabois Elected Board Chair of Project PericlesThe Project Pericles Board of Directors elected Neil R. Grabois as Chair. Neil previously served as Vice-Chair and brings decades of experience in higher education to his new position. As the former President of Colgate University, former Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a longtime advocate of civic engagement, Neil has been a strong board member with a substantive knowledge of the work of Project Pericles.
The Board of Directors also elected Richard Ekman as Vice-Chair of Project Pericles and Alison Bernstein as its first Treasurer. Richard Ekman is the President of the Council of Independent Colleges. Alison Bernstein is the former Vice-President of the Ford Foundation and currently the Director of the Institute for Women's Leadership at Rutgers University. We are delighted to have such strong, supportive leadership from our board.
Richard Guarasci and Steven G. Poskanzer new Chair and Vice-Chair of Presidents' Council
We are pleased to announce that Richard Guarasci, President of Wagner College, is the new Chair of the Project Pericles Presidents' Council and Steven G. Poskanzer, President of Carleton College, is the new Vice-Chair. Please join us in welcoming Richard and Steve to their new positions. We thank Rebecca Chopp, the former President of Swarthmore College, for her many years of service on the Presidents' Council, most recently as Chair.

D4D on the Road Workshops - Another Extraordinary Year Ahead

Project Pericles is pleased to announce that the 2014-2015 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ on the Road workshops will be led by Seiji Carpenter and John Gilbert. Both trainers have extensive campaign experience and offer an extraordinary array of practical knowledge and skills. They are excited to share their insights with students, faculty, and community partners attending the 2014-2015 workshops. As in the past, participants to the D4D™ workshops will explore effective approaches and strategies to move causes they support forward. We are currently finalizing the schedule for the 2014-2015 D4D™ workshop calendar.

The D4D on the Road™ workshops, hosted at Periclean colleges and universities, provide training in leadership development, media strategy, coalition building, and developing an effective message. Through these day-long workshops, Project Pericles has trained more than 2,300 attendees at Periclean colleges and universities across the United States.

Pericleans in the News

Letters to an Elected Official

The 2014-2015 projects proposed by the six winning teams are in full motion. Teams have submitted exciting and engaging proposals to move forward the issues raised in their letters to elected officials. As the proposals are approved and the teams receive their award, we will be reporting on their progress.

Pitzer College's Eli Erlick and Nicholas LaCivita wrote, "A Letter to U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) in support of the Safe Schools Improvement Act." The act would mandate anti-bullying policies for LGBTQ students at the K-12 level and would be the first of its kind to protect at-risk youth from victimization.

As part of their work to raise awareness about the health and safety of LGBTQ students, Eli presented two workshops at The Gender Spectrum Conference, one for gender-expansive teens and the other for parents and professionals working with them.

Swarthmore College's Jason Mendoza and Mackenzie Welch wrote "A Letter to Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) concerning Human Rights Considerations and Effectiveness of U.S. Sponsored Coca Fumigation in Colombia." In June, the pair travelled to Washington, D.C. to attend a meeting on Capitol Hill about U.S. drug policy in the Western Hemisphere that featured Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY), the Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The pair also met with scholars in the Drug Policy Program at the Inter-American Dialogue that work in their Drug Policy Program.

The pair plan on returning to D.C. for meetings with their elected officials and experts on drug policy.

In their letter, Mendoza and Welch argue for a change in U.S. drug eradication policy in Colombia from aerial fumigation to manual eradication. The authors believe that aerial fumigation causes human rights violations, is not cost-efficient, and exacerbates rural displacement in Colombia.

Seven Periclean Colleges and Universities Recognized for their Eco-Friendliness

College Prowler ranked higher education institutions throughout the country based on factors such as "LEED-certified facilities and sustainability initiatives ... as well as striving for a more eco-friendly future." The highest scoring institution in each state was then ranked amongst others to present the most eco-friendly colleges and institutions across the United States.

Project Pericles is proud of its seven member institutions that ranked the highest in their states and were included in College Prowler's list:

Allegheny College - PA
Berea College - KY
Carleton College - MN
Elon University - NC
Goucher College - MD
Hendrix College - AR
Pitzer College - CA

Pitzer College topped the list and was the only school to receive a perfect 10! The full list is available at EcoWatch.

Annual Meetings

Thank you to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for graciously hosting Project Pericles' 2014 Presidents' Council Meeting on November 5th and another thank you to Carleton College for hosting the 2014 Program Directors' Meeting October 1st and 2nd. Both meetings are pivotal in generating new ideas and initiatives, and we appreciate the generosity of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Carleton College.

The 2015 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference will be held March 19thand 20th at The New School. The conference is an opportunity for student leaders from all of our campuses to be joined by college presidents, faculty, and community leaders for panels and advocacy workshops that have a meaningful impact on their own civic engagement trajectories. Finalist teams will present their letters to an elected official in the legislative competition judged by former elected officials.
Project Pericles Needs Your Support!
Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner.
To subscribe or to submit to submit Periclean-related information for publication,
email garret.batten@projectpericles.org.

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster

National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org
Board of Directors
Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang
Chair: Neil R. Grabois
Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman
Treasurer: Alison R. Bernstein
Presidents' Council
Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College
Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College
National Board of Advisors
Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke
The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved.

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