A Civic Engagement Graduation Requirement on an Urban College Campus

E-ISSN： 2328-5508|1|4|1-27

ISSN： 2328-5494

Source： International Journal of Civic Engagement and Social Change (IJCESC), Vol.1, Iss.4, 2014-10, pp. : 1-27

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Abstract

As civic engagement is an essential part of a democratic society, many college educators believe that it should be encouraged or required of students. The survey reported here gathered information on past and present civic activities from 2,327 students at a large, very diverse urban community college. Results showed strong agreement with the proposition that the college had a responsibility to develop civically engaged students. Principal components analysis of responses revealed four distinct factors: general non-political civic engagement, and low-effort, high-effort, and unconventional political activities. Many students did not regard themselves as civically engaged yet reported extensive activity. More civically engaged students tended to be male, older, and not employed full-time. Ethnicity was related to engagement in complex ways. Students with a service-oriented program of study were expected to report more civic engagement, but evidence for this was minimal. Political party identification was a poor predictor of student responses.