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Comments on Civic Engagement student learning outcome
#Response DateResponse Text
1Nov 9, 2010 9:34 PMYes, but you will have to be specific about how this will be measured...through volunteering experience for class (which is often mandatory) or through student organizations with is more voluntary.
2Nov 9, 2010 9:40 PMyes with reservations. The students do not have to agree with faculty as to what makes a societal concern nor should they be expected to adapt their differences of opinion to others.
3Nov 9, 2010 9:40 PMMNSU strongly emphasizes and encourages applying your knowledge to your future career, but in current times.
4Nov 9, 2010 9:41 PMWhat is meant by societal concerns? Who decides what the concerns are?
5Nov 9, 2010 9:48 PMwe need civic engagement, awareness to acxtively participate in societal concerns.
6Nov 9, 2010 9:50 PMUnless you are part of one of the RSOs this is not at all applicable.
7Nov 9, 2010 9:54 PMThis is not necessary to be considered educated and competent. It should be not be required. Not all people are wired for this kind of issue or have any interest in whatsoever.
8Nov 9, 2010 9:57 PMDon't seem to apply in every decipline
9Nov 9, 2010 9:58 PMI feel that this is a key component on any college campus. Students are just emerging into society where their voices are more widely heard and furthermore taken seriously. Classes even have specific assignments directed toward learning about societal concerns and becoming actively involved.
10Nov 9, 2010 9:59 PMWhat does awareness mean? How about involvement, with defined paramenters/
11Nov 9, 2010 10:03 PMThere are plenty of chances to get involved in the community and students can find a way to cover this area easily.
12Nov 9, 2010 10:06 PMIt is essential that all students be well rounded when leaving MSU, Mankato. To be the most competitive candidate in any field civil engagment is essential.
13Nov 9, 2010 10:09 PMThis is a great student learning outcome, I think it would be great for professors to follow along as well.
14Nov 9, 2010 10:12 PMThere are always ways to get involved and engaged on campus. Get Up MN did a wonderful job throughout the pass elections. MSSA provided a wonderful opportunity for students to attend two debates on campus!
15Nov 9, 2010 10:16 PMStudents should also demonstrate awareness of societal concerns directly, as in volunteering, etc.
16Nov 9, 2010 10:17 PMThroughout our education here at Minnesota State Mankato we are taught how to apply what we have learned to the real world when we are asked to solve one of the many issues that our society faces.
17Nov 9, 2010 10:20 PMWhat are our plans to provide and support these types of activities for students, staff and faculty?
18Nov 9, 2010 10:24 PMNot nearly enough faculty encourage engagement.
19Nov 9, 2010 10:35 PMIt should be applicable, but very, very, very few students at MSU, M actually know or care about real issues.
20Nov 9, 2010 10:35 PMStudents may or may not have the financial resources to be able to participate in such activities, or have multiple jobs or family commitments that make it impossible for them to participate. This needs to be taken into account as well, rather than making civic engagement mandatory for all students.
21Nov 9, 2010 10:41 PMAll university students? Some? If some, which ones?
22Nov 9, 2010 10:43 PMIs there a standardized list of "issues of societal concern"?
23Nov 9, 2010 10:50 PMThis is more appropriate in some disciplines than others.
24Nov 9, 2010 10:51 PMHow will this be behaviorally assessed?
25Nov 9, 2010 10:53 PMYes, however, I can see where this one will meet resistance, as some disciplines are challenging to connect with this in a strong or integrative way.
26Nov 9, 2010 11:34 PMI voted last tuesday and believe it is important in order to learn.
27Nov 9, 2010 11:38 PMThis is again not an academic goal. What do you ask them to do here? Run a soup kitchen? Make every vote? Good goals, but not academic. Say what you mean! Not some liberal touchy feely gobbely goop.
28Nov 9, 2010 11:41 PMThe statement is awkward and vague. I would suggest the following statement. Students will participate in activities individually or collectively that demonstrate their concerns for society.
29Nov 9, 2010 11:44 PMWhat does this really mean? It's really just another feel good platitude
30Nov 9, 2010 11:49 PMI am so glad that Minnesota State Mankato believes teaching civic engagement is important to our students. I believe this is one of the most important things our students can learn.
31Nov 9, 2010 11:57 PMi think this campus has alot to offer in this area
32Nov 9, 2010 11:57 PMI think that the distinction between awareness and knowledge will be quite tricky to assess.
33Nov 10, 2010 12:32 AMThere should be a service learning requirement similar to UW-Eau Claire
34Nov 10, 2010 1:22 AMI like the triad of "awareness, knowledge and skills". I also think the expression "issues of societal concern" is suitably broad to stave off partisan political criticism.
35Nov 10, 2010 1:25 AMA lot of students are shown another side of life that many only could not imagine. It is an eye opener to the many needs and issues that are all around us right here in Mankato, MN. Going to the sites and assisting the community in that selected area brings to the surface what is good in humanity; caring for another, helping someone out when they are in need.
36Nov 10, 2010 1:43 AMThis is a huge undertaking that fits well with the global solutions vision. However, the challenges with the gold course implementation indicate the real challenge in experienced-based learning outcomes.
37Nov 10, 2010 2:33 AMThere has been little to no focus on civic engagement throughout my academic career here at MSU.
38Nov 10, 2010 2:51 AMYes, however -- is "participate on issues" the correct combination of verb + preposition + noun?
39Nov 10, 2010 2:57 AMAn assignment in a leadership course involved community volunteerism so that a student was engaged in the needs of society
40Nov 10, 2010 3:26 AMI wish there were more of this in the business program, although then maybe the program would not be called business.
41Nov 10, 2010 3:43 AMthe term civic engagement makes me think of giving back/volunteering in the community.
42Nov 10, 2010 3:44 AMCertainly need more of this!!! Great. Not sure how much this is done though :(
43Nov 10, 2010 4:12 AMMy real answer is maybe. This essentially requires a service learning component. How will that be accomplished when FTEs are crucial in this poor economy? Will departments be penalized for offering low-enrollment service learning courses? If there isn't a service learning requirement, can students truly master civic engagement?
44Nov 10, 2010 6:41 AMdepend on what the subjects are, some subjects are more interesting than others, it will determine if it intrigues students or not.
45Nov 10, 2010 12:28 PMAgain, these are really goals, not outcomes, and while they apply to student learning on campus, they are too squishy to be measured in a meaningful way.
46Nov 10, 2010 12:32 PMStudents are encouraged to participate in community event and to do service learning or other volunteer work.
47Nov 10, 2010 2:02 PMI don't think students should be required to show active civic engagement. I think that is a personal choice.
48Nov 10, 2010 2:05 PMn/a
49Nov 10, 2010 2:21 PMThis has been an area that MSU has done a much better job, and continues to improve. This clearly is a priority for MSU, and as a community member that benfiits from this influx of resource it is win win on both sides.
50Nov 10, 2010 3:27 PMThis is a great outcome - how do we suggest that students are going to readily meet this outcome? I think that the GOLD Diverse Cultures requirement stands to assist masses of students achieve this. However, GOLD is still not a requirement for graduation (students can substitute two purple instead). SO - while I believe its applicable, I'm wondering how realistic the achievement is.
51Nov 10, 2010 4:04 PMCritical
52Nov 10, 2010 4:46 PMCivic Engagement is crucial to learning about one's academic interest, it gives the student a chance to broaden their learning by using knowledge from class, which can be used in the real world.
53Nov 10, 2010 4:58 PMI think this is a very important outcome but it is easier to talk about than to implement. I have not yet seen this campus willing to contribute the resources necessary to make this a reality. This might include a faculty line .50 to 1.00 to coordinate such an effort. I am aware of several classes which require service learning (not always the same thing as civic engagement) but students often do it with a "because I have to" mentality and agencies with whom students are placed don't necessarily have meaningful things for students to do at the times students are available. On the other hand, there are wonderful programs such as campus kitchens, and opportunities for students to work with immigrants and refugees, tutoring etc. More could probably be done with "getting out the vote" and information regarding candidates and issues in election years. A question I have is: Are we looking at civic engagement overall or trying to get each professor/course to include civic engagement activities (which could be more challenging and problematic).
54Nov 10, 2010 5:11 PMA good portion of students are not in tune to societal problems. I know many people who didn't vote.
55Nov 10, 2010 5:22 PMevery little bit helps
56Nov 10, 2010 5:23 PMAll disciplines do not have the same ability to involve issues of societal concern. In addition how would this be effectively assessed. This is an altruistic goal, a good one, but simply not practical.
57Nov 10, 2010 5:51 PMI am not sure how you will know if the knowledge is there.
58Nov 10, 2010 6:55 PMIf a student is not educated in the ways of helping the community, they may never help the community and miss out on this opportunity to better themselves.
59Nov 10, 2010 7:24 PMugh..
60Nov 10, 2010 9:22 PMIt is very important in view that students participate issues that will have impact on their future and also someone they know.
61Nov 10, 2010 9:39 PMIn my sociology class as well as my gender and women studies class we discuss things like this, society needs us, needs me to do everything I can to be aware of things and act upon them.
62Nov 10, 2010 9:57 PMI would like to see civil engagement as a student learning outcome after attending Minnesota State Mankato, but this may not be universally true. I think that the university and recognized student organizations should continue to find more ways to raise awareness in the student population for a wide variety of issues of societal concern. We just had a major election Nov. 2, and I didn't feel like that was very noticeable on campus or in dialogue with other students.
63Nov 10, 2010 10:47 PMI do believe that the students in the community can get the knowledge of issues or societal concern.
64Nov 10, 2010 11:23 PMdfads
65Nov 11, 2010 2:01 AMN/A
66Nov 11, 2010 1:34 PMThere are only specific areas of study that require any amount of Civic Engagement. I have been attending here for 3 years and have done nothing in the classroom that involves Civic Engagement.
67Nov 11, 2010 2:35 PMMore emphasis should be placed on academics. A good grounding in general academic knowledge (literature, history, social and physical sciences) will most likely create the same effect without pushing social agendas, while increasing the students' ability to take informed positions on societal issues.
68Nov 11, 2010 3:10 PMCivic engagement is an individual issue. Whose civic project should the students address? What if they disagree with the instructor's civic issues?
69Nov 11, 2010 5:24 PMHow are issues of societal concern determined?
70Nov 11, 2010 7:20 PMI believe that community or civic engagement enriches the learning experiences of students and adds value both to the students and to the community.
71Nov 11, 2010 11:00 PMHow will students demonstrate these skills? What will be acceptable as active participation on societal concerns?
72Nov 12, 2010 5:54 AMThis is so vague, so liberal, so huh? Civic Engagement? Is this learn how to protest? Teach the student body critical skills that enable a successful working life.
73Nov 12, 2010 2:27 PMAgain, how will this be assessed and measured during a sutdent's career? Are there requirements for undergraduate students in this area of engagement?
74Nov 12, 2010 5:09 PMI don't know anything about this.
75Nov 15, 2010 4:11 PMThis is a silly specification. What/who defines "actively"? What/who defines an "issue of societal concern"? What/who defines "awareness, knowledge and skills" in the context of "issues of societal concern"? Is absolutely subjective, based on a faculty member's or the administration's social, economic, and/or political biases. Cf. pro- and anti- immigration reform positions. Cf. pro- and anti- gay marriage issues. etc, etc etc Not an appropriate specification.
76Nov 16, 2010 4:12 AMI think my answer is really a maybe. This outcome does not match with all academic disciplines. However, students seem to have ample opportunity in various student activities.
77Dec 2, 2010 7:53 PMIT WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE CLASS. I LEARNED ALOT OF INFORMATION THAT I DID NOT ALREADY KNOW.