CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CERTIFICATE
APPLICATION
Please complete this form and email it to the Civic Engagement Certificate Coordinator Barbara Juhasz ().
Name: / Date:Wes ID number: / Class year:
E-mail: / Major(s):
*Other certificates:
A. List six courses you have taken or are planning to take to complete the CEC. (You can change this plan as your proceed through the program.) These courses must be selected from at least THREE of the six categories and one must be from “The Practice of Democracy” category.
- The Individual in Society
- The Practice of Democracy
- Ethical Reasoning
- Volunteerism and Activism
- Education and Public Scholarship
- Civic engagement in Cross-Cultural Perspective
Courses that are not on the official list or that are taken during study abroad may be counted towards the CEC by petition and completion of a 500-1000 word Critical Reflection. Contact Barbara Juhasz to discuss using these courses for the CEC.
Course / Category / Semester & Year(if taken already)
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B. Briefly describe any previous volunteer and/or community service activity you have had.
C. What do you plan to do to fulfill your volunteer service requirement?
The CEC requires a minimum of forty hours of service work coordinated through the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism (OCS). This work can be done through short efforts over the course of a semester or through an extended volunteer experience. Please note that while service work does not provide academic credit, it is essential if students are to acquire an understanding of what is involved in sustaining the practices of civil society and what is required to change existing social practices. Contact Cathy Lechowicz () and Diana Martinez () of the Center for Community Partnerships to discuss the service requirement. You will write a Critical Reflection on your experiences.
Answer:
D. What do you plan to do for your practicum?
By a practicum we mean an activity in the community such as an internship (but not confined to formal internships) that has a substantial civic engagement component, is sufficiently experiential, and contains a structured reflection on the experience in the form of readings and writing projects. The Practicum must be taken for credit, and students are strongly encouraged to receive credit through CSPL 493, which grants a .25 internship credit. The Practicum may also take the form of a tutorial, an independent study, or as Education in the Field approved by the CEC advisory panel. Contact Barbara Juhasz to discuss your practicum options. You will complete a Critical Reflection on your experiences.
Answer:
Students will write and submit reflection pieces at the beginning, middle, and end of the Certificate process. The first reflection should be submitted when students declare their interest in the certificate (ideally in the second semester of their sophomore year). Please contact Barbara Juhasz to discuss your first reflection paper.
*Please note that a student who does not complete Stage 2 of the general education expectations may not declare more than a combined total of two majors, certificates, and minors.