Barnard Gives Credit for Civic Engagement
People who engage in public service deserve all the credit they can get. And that's what Barnard College is giving them. Affiliated with Columbia University, this leader among independent colleges for women has long been known for encouraging activism by its students. Now in one of the components of its new Civic Engagement Program (NYCCEP) it is awarding college credits to students who take a course, “Theorizing Civic Engagement,” in Barnard's Women's Studies Department, while interning at not-for-profit agencies. The goal of NYCCEP is to integrate classroom analysis with internship experience.
The course is taught by Maxine Weisgrau, Associate Professor in Anthropology and Women's Studies and NYCCEP Director. In a recent interview, Professor Weisgrau said, “This course is part of the education of women in engaging in social and political issues, particularly in the community of New York City, which is a global center. It also gives them ways to think about the work they are doing and its link with the role of activism in our society.”
Said Will Simpkins, Associate Director of Civic Engagement in the Office of Career Development, “We approach community service from an academic perspective. We don't have to convince our students to become active members of our community. They already are. We are offering them multiple arenas in which they can reflect on what they are doing.”
There are three components
to Barnard's NYCCEP: Development, Outreach and Models of
Civic Engagement Series. Future programs in this series
include “The Day After: A Political Analysis of Campaign '04”, “Women in Politics: Personal Testimonies,” and
a lecture with human rights activist Kerry Kennedy Cuomo,
founder of the RFK Center for Human Rights.#
