Center for Civic Engagement jmu.edu/civic The mission of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement is to foster and coordinate civic engagement activities in support of the University’s mission. Why civic engagement? JMU aims to be the national model of the engaged university. Civic engagement at JMU means advancing the legacy of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, by preparing individuals to be active and responsible participants in a representative democracy dedicated to the common good. Although often viewed as synonymous with community engagement, civic engagement is characterized by an ethic of citizenship and public responsibility. Few Americans better exemplify these traits than our university’s namesake, James Madison, who devoted his life to promoting the concept of liberty buttressed by the twin necessities of active political participation and rigorous, substantial education. In a period in which many Americans have lost confidence in our political institutions and find “politics” to be too controversial, partisan or divisive, embodying this Madisonian commitment seems a more pressing charge than ever before. How can students become a more engaged citizen? JMU has an on-campus precinct. Be sure to register to vote: jmu.edu/vote/ Civic learning is embedded in coursework at JMU. Take a class: • General Education American Experience – Cluster 4: jmu.edu/gened/ • Most majors have courses dedicated to civic learning and democratic engagement. Contact your academic department to learn more: jmu.edu/academics/ JMU is constantly hosting interesting lectures, panels and dialogue sessions on contemporary, public issues. The James Madison Center maintains a list of upcoming programs at jmu.edu/civic. Several student organizations are explicitly connected to civic engagement at JMU. Here are some resources: • Student Government Association: info.jmu.edu/sga/ • College Democrats: beinvolved.jmu.edu/organization/jmudemocrats • College Republicans: beinvolved.jmu.edu/organization/jmucollegerepublicans
• NAACP: beinvolved.jmu.edu/organization/JMUNAACP • Virginia 21: beinvolved.jmu.edu/organization/va21
Civic engagement is built into most Community Service-Learning opportunities: jmu.edu/csl. Montpelier, the historic home of James and Dolley Madison, is about one-hour from campus. Learn about the life of Madison, the political debates embodied in the Constitution and explore a new exhibit on slavery: montpelier.org/
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