Special Assistant to the Chancellor
118A North Hall
715-425-3711
blake.fry@uwrf.edu

About the American Democracy Project

Activities on Campus

How to Get Involved

Additional Resources

About the American Democracy Project

The American Democracy Project, a multi-campus initiative sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the New York Times, seeks to foster informed civic engagement in the United States. UW-River Falls has joined with 195 other Universities, representing over 1.7 million students, to increase the number of undergraduates who are committed to engaging in an informed and meaningful civic life.

The project embraces a definition of civic engagement as articulated by Tom Erlich in Civic Responsibility and Higher Education (Thomas Erlich, ed., Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2000.)

Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes (Preface, pg. vi).

To learn more about the development and objectives of this project, read the ADP Project Summary

Activities on Campus

2009-10 Academic Year

The Future of Farming and Rural Life

The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters is pleased to announce Stan Gruszynski, the USDA’s new State Director of Rural Development, will be the featured speaker for the series opener of statewide Academy Evenings presentations on Tuesday, October 13, at 7:00 pm at the Phipps Center for the Arts, 109 Locust Street in Hudson. Gruszynski will discuss “The Future of Farming and Rural Life” project, and share stories (some of them humorous) based on his travels across Wisconsin.

This Academy Evening event is co-sponsored by UW–River Falls and the Phipps Center for the Arts. Statewide Academy Evenings are sponsored by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, M&I Bank, the Evjue Foundation, and the Lubar Family Foundation.

Constitution Day: The Constitution Yesterday and Today

Celebrate National Constitution Day by joining the discussion on Thursday, Sept 17 at 1:00 in  the Davee Library as we reflect on the Constitution and its role in our country. For over 200 years the Constitution has guided the nation and its policy development.  Today the nation appears at a crossroads, asking again, what is the relationship between the levels of government and the role of the people as citizens and as private individuals.  These are the issues which led the founders from their states to the Philadelphia in 1787. The discussion will focus on how current issues such as benefits, retirement and healthcare reflect Constitutional issues.  How should and do we use the Constitution in these policy discussions?

Coffee with The Times
"Coffee with The Times" is a series of informal conversations, providing students, faculty, staff, and community members an opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions on current events and issues. Sessions are held in the Breezeway of Davee Library and refreshments are provided by The New York Times. Fall 2009 SCHEDULE

Wednesday, November 18, noon Davee Library Breezeway, "National Race for the Greenest Campus: Where is UWRF?" Dr. Kelly Cain, UWRF Academic Program Director for Sustainability, will lead the discussion.

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2008-09 Academic Year

Coffee with The Times
"Coffee with The Times" is a series of informal conversations, providing students, faculty, staff, and community members an opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions on current events and issues. Sessions are held in the Breezeway of Davee Library and refreshments are provided by The New York Times. Spring 2009 SCHEDULE.

Educating for Democracy Reading and Discussion Group

The UWRF chapter of the American Democracy Project organized a reading and discussion group for the book Educating for Democracy. From the authors of Educating Citizens, Educating for Democracy reports the results of the Political Engagement Project, a study of educational practices at the college level that prepare students for responsible democratic participation.

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2007-08 Academic Year
The 2007-08 academic year was an exciting one for the ADP chapter at UWRF. Events included our participation in the Deliberative Polling Project and an appearance by New York Times editor Greg Brock. To view a complete recap of our activities from 2007-08, CLICK HERE.

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2006-07 Academic Year
The UWRF ADP chapter prepared a poster for the 2007 National American Democracy Project Campus Showcase that highlighted the civic engagement programs on the UWRF campus during the 2006-07 academic year. To view the poster, CLICK HERE.

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How to Get Involved

A number of UW-River Falls faculty and staff are involved in the Project. Subscribe to the Civic Engagement listserv to join the conversation.

Contact Blake Fry, administrative director of the American Democracy Project at UWRF for more information.

Read more about civic engagement and service learning. Check out one of these books available in the Chalmer Davee Library.

Additional Resources

The American Democracy Project at UWRF maintains an archive of past ADP sponsored lectures. These lectures, highlighting various aspects of civic engagement, are available on DVD and may be checked out free of charge from the Chancellor's Office by calling 715-425-3711. Lectures in the archive include:

• Connie Foster , Interim Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
• Greg Brock, Senior Editor, The New York Times
• Anne Colby, Senior Scholar, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
• John Cronin, Director, Pace Academy for the Environment
• George Mehaffy, Vice President, Academic Leadership and Change, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

To learn more about the American Democracy Project, its sponsoring organizations, and organizations that share a common vision to the American Democracy Project, we recommend the following links:

• American Democracy Project - Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
• American Democracy Project - The New York Times
• AAC&U Core Commitments
• Campus Compact
• Center for Democracy and Citizenship

 

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