Civic Engagement
Delta is dedicated to empowering its students to enact positive change in their communities. In becoming active citizens, students gain the critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving skills employers are looking for.
Civic engagement allows students to take what they've learned in the classroom and apply it in their communities. These opportunities not only benefit a student's development and experience, but it allows area communities to benefit from students' unique insights, creativity and energy.
Graduation requirement
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- Applies to all Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees
- Can be earned in conjunction with an existing course or through individualized instruction
- Can also be fulfilled by taking a service-learning designated course
Current courses offering civic engagement
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- POL105, American Politics with project
- HIS237, History of Michigan
- IHU/SPA268, International Studies/Spanish
Independent study option
Students can also earn civic engagement credit through individualized instruction. They simply work with a faculty member to design a project that meets the course outcomes of CEP101.
Faculty offering individualized CEP101:
- Aurelian Balan, Physics
- Andrea Blair, Geology
- Tom Boudrot, Political Science
- Maureen Donegan, Psychology
- Amy French, History
- Prof. Jacobs, Spanish
- Kim Klein, Political Science
- Lisa Lawrason, Political Science
- Carla Murphy, Lifelong Wellness
- Robert Moore, Political Science
- Jacob VanHouten, Biology
Examples of past projects
Each faculty member designs their own civic engagement project. Here are examples of projects faculty have offered in past semesters.
Professor Boudrot’s students work for a community organization or advocate for an issue they are passionate about, organizing others to get involved. They raise awareness of the issue using various tools, including social media, and contact elected officials regarding their issue. They document their work through a portfolio and journal. The project is individual-based.
Professor Moore’s students may select from a myriad of activities, including working on political campaigns, observing local or state government, volunteering for community organizations or starting their own, observing court proceedings or shadowing lawyers. They may track a bill through the legislature and educate the Delta community about the bill through a poster presentation and brochure. The project is individual-based.
Professor Klein’s students complete a class-wide project. Students may work toward raising awareness of preventable injuries in children, either through presentations, hands-on activities or fostering partnerships with the community. The goal of these efforts is to implement a Safety Town in Saginaw, a miniature replica of a city in which kids can practice bike and pedestrian safety, fire safety, etc. Students may also work in the Public Achievement program, in which they “coach” teams of elementary students to identify and address issues related to child safety and healthy living.
Professor Ullrich’s students research an issue they are passionate about, volunteer with an organization addressing their issue in the community, and write a letter to an elected official and a local newspaper. They log their hours and submit a reflection paper at the end of the project.
Professor Lawrason’s students learn skills for organizing others to affect a positive change on issues they are passionate about. Students research their issue individually, then work with a group of classmates to design an awareness campaign and bring the issue to the attention of elected officials. This includes conversations with lawmakers on campus or in Lansing. Students may also engage in voter registration and get-out-the vote activities.
One of our projects allows students to dive deep into history through historic research, writing, and reflection of points of conflict and civic engagement at specific times in Michigan’s past. Students can also intern at a local museum. Our projects show how history is done, the importance of history to American democracy, the various ways one gains a history education, and more. The experience cultivates skills that can be applied to numerous professional fields.
Credit by portfolio
If you wish to apply for academic credit in CEP-101, Civic Engagement Practicum, through submission of a portfolio, you will be required to supply these materials to the Think Civically Group. You must have evidence of effectively meeting all course outcomes to be eligible for credit-by-portfolio. This credit, if received, may not be transferrable to another institution but will meet the AA and AS civic engagement graduation requirement at Delta.
Students must address each course outcome for CEP-101 separately and demonstrate meeting these outcomes in a word- processed paper, complete with in-text citations and a bibliography, either in MLA or APA format. Any portfolio without properly cited sources will not be considered for credit. Page requirements for demonstrating understanding of each outcome are listed below. Formatting should be Times New Roman, 12-point font, one-inch margins, double spaced. Students completing the portfolio are advised to consult with Lisa Lawrason, lisalawrason@delta.edu, to ensure requirements are properly met.
15 hours of non-classroom hours of public activity
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- Hours must be documented and verified by someone within an organization/campaign/initiative with which you worked. Student must provide contact information, including address, email and phone number of the organization and supervisor with which he/she performed 15 hours.
- Hours must have been completed within six months prior to the student seeking credit by portfolio.
- Work must be more than simply volunteering or giving back to the community. Work must be performed in the context of understanding conditions and contexts (historical, economic, social or political) of social problems. For example, working to address why people are hungry, rather than simply serving lunch at a soup kitchen.
- Student should include any supporting documentation to demonstrate competency as it relates to the course outcomes/objectives. This may include brochures, certifications, awards, photographs, videos, etc.
Assess a public problem or issue (2 pages)
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- Demonstrate understanding of the conditions and contexts of social problem(s).
- Investigate root causes or problems of the issue toward which the 15 hours of public activity was devoted and the strategies to prevent them.
Identify one’s own civic and cultural values (1 page)
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- Access how the student has formulated values and interests (on the issue to which the student devoted 15 hours of public activity), based on life experiences and background.
- Identify how one’s interests and values connect them to a common problem or issue in their community.
Formulate and implement a plan to address the public problem or issue (1 page)
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- Demonstrate an understanding of how political, social, or economic institutions and/or processes can be used to address community problem or issue identified above.
- Reflect on issues encountered and insights gained from engagement in the public activity (1 page).
- Student should reflect on the civic engagement hours and what he/she will be taking away from it, including lessons learned, how the knowledge and experience might affect his/her life moving forward, how knowledge and skills gained may be put to work to address issues in the future.
Any portfolio will only be considered once by the Think Civically Resource Group. Revisions are not permitted after it has been submitted. If the credit-by-portfolio has been accepted by the Civic Engagement Resource Group, the student must complete the Credit by Portfolio Application (PDF) available from Advising.
Portfolios should be dropped off or mailed in hard-copy form to:
Delta College
Attn: Lisa Lawrason
1961 Delta Road, Office G122
University Center, MI 48710