Synopses & Reviews
The terms “civic engagement” and “community engagement” have various definitions, but they are united by the sense that individuals who are civically engaged not only are concerned about the quality of life in their communities but also take action to improve conditions for the common good. In the United States, to be civically engaged means to actively participate in a civil democratic society. Going Public examines programs related to civic engagement and the ways in which faculty and students participate in communities in order to improve them. Engagement scholarship is a scholarship of action, a scholarship of practice that takes place both in and with the community. Within the framework of this new scholarship, the mission of the academy does not begin and end with intellectual discovery and fact-finding. Rather, the academy joins forces with the community, and together they use their knowledge and resources to address pressing social, civic, economic, and moral problems. Each chapter in this book tells a unique story of community engagement and the scholarship of practice in a diverse range of settings, documenting successes and failures, the unintended consequences, and the questions yet to be answered.
Review
“Through scholarship-focused service and civic engagement and the scholarship of practice, Fitzgerald and Primavera and their contributors deepen our understanding and provide textured contemporary examples of scholarly engagement. This superb compilation will advance the fi eld and assist scholars and practitioners to envision the intersection of their own research and practice as rich, reciprocal civic and community engagement.”
—Lorilee R. Sandmann, Professor of Adult Education, University of Georgia
Review
“This edited volume thoughtfully articulates and establishes an empirically founded call for the essential and central mission of the scholarship of engagement. Such a call should be self-evident, and at many universities it has gained equal mission status with learning and discovery. It enriches a university’s resident experience and enhances research and discovery by faculty. Active higher education engagement co-creates knowledge that advances scholarship, enhances well-being, and promotes civility and civil society. This book is a must-read for administrators and faculty seeking innovative solutions for advancing engagement.”
—Louis Swanson, Professor of Sociology, Vice President for Engagement, Colorado State University
Synopsis
Going Public examines programs related to civic engagement and the ways in which faculty and students participate in communities in order to improve them. Each chapter in this book tells a unique story of community engagement and the scholarship of practice in a diverse range of settings, documenting successes and failures, the unintended consequences, and the questions yet to be answered.
About the Author
Hiram E. Fitzgerald is Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology, and Adjunct Professor in Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University.