Civic engagement is defined as "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." (Excerpted from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published by Oryx Press, 2000, Preface, page vi.) At USG, we recognize the value of civic engagement, and how it helps our students and community members to contribute to their society. A few of the ways we promote this process is:
- The USG Civic Engagement Speaker Series
- Seasonal community service opportunities
- Leadership programming (including the USGLeads Leadership Program, #USGLeads Leadership Symposium and the Diversity and Leadership Learning Series)
- Student government (the undergraduate Student Council and the Graduate Student Association)
- Voter registration partnerships
- Support of community resources
- Service focused student clubs and organizations
If your academic program, student organization, or you as an individual would like support with a civic engagement initiative, the Center for Student Engagement and Financial Resources is here to help! Please reach out to us at shadygrove@umd.edu. Please also see the links below for more information.
