Press Release

Contact: Kathy Goodman or Debra Humphreys
202-387-3760
Webcast@aacu.org

Association of American Colleges and Universities to Host Interactive Webcast on College Students and Democracy

Students, Faculty, and Administrators Invited to Participate in "Journey Towards Democracy: Involving Students in the Political Process"

Washington, DC—August 24, 2004—The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has announced that it will hold an interactive Webcast on college student engagement with the political process. Sponsored by AAC&U's Center for Liberal Education and Civic Engagement, "Journey Towards Democracy: Involving Students in the Political Process" will take place from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. EST on September 29, 2004. The Webcast will focus on patterns of student political participation, student-driven political organizing, and new technologies that engage students with political issues and encourage electoral participation.

"While democracy involves more than simply voting, the election year provides an opportunity to consider how college can prepare students to participate in public life and in our diverse democracy," said Caryn McTighe Musil, vice president of AAC&U's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Global Initiatives, where the Center for Liberal Education and Civic Engagement is housed. "Even though young people are intensely involved in volunteer community service, they are more disengaged from political life than the population as a whole and than students of earlier decades. Colleges and universities can help remedy this dilemma by producing not just good workers and thinkers, but informed and engaged citizens. Our Webcast will explore how students can be more effectively drawn into the political process."

"Journey Towards Democracy: Involving Students in the Political Process" is part of AAC&U's ongoing effort to promote civic engagement on college campuses. AAC&U has identified civic engagement as a key outcome of higher education and seeks to advance the civic mission of the academy through its Center for Liberal Education and Civic Engagement and related projects.

Students, faculty, and administrators can register for the Webcast for free online and can participate by submitting questions before or during the Webcast. The Webcast will be especially useful for classes on politics and democracy, American history and culture, philosophy, sociology, and ethnic and
women's studies. It will be an ideal vehicle for student affairs offices committed to fostering leadership in students and for student organizations that promote involvement in larger social issues. Service-learning centers, first-year experience classes, residence life programs, and civic engagement centers will also find the discussion of interest.

The Webcast will feature experts on public opinion, political organizing, and government: panelists include Scott Keeter, associate director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press; Jennifer Bonardi, associate director of Democracy Matters; and Ben Brandzel, executive director and cofounder of Click Back America. The discussion will be moderated by Linda Williams, associate professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland.

To register for the Webcast, or to learn more about this and other AAC&U projects, visit www.aacu.org.

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,150 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found on the AAC&U Web site.