Graphic with the words Strengthening Democracy Together
Graphic with the words Strengthening Democracy Together

College Presidents for Civic Preparedness equips Gen Z to thrive in a complex and divided country

Convened by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, this coalition of over 100 campus leaders from diverse ideologies, backgrounds, and institutions is committed to preparing students for active civic engagement. Our top priority is giving students regular opportunities to navigate difficult conversations on sensitive issues like global conflicts, identity, reproductive rights, climate change, and economic security.

Photo of a group of young people carrying protest signs on a college campus
A critical crossroads for higher education and American democracy
Photo of a young man addressing an assembly on a college campus
Students needs tools and opportunities to engage in difficult conversations about sensitive and complex issues
Group photo of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness founding members
Presidents collaborate to share insights, discuss challenges, and build tools that equip students with the skills to master difficult conversations in a divided nation
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Guided by three Civic Commitments, presidents develop campus-specific programming that impacts all areas of campus life—from lecture halls to dining rooms to dorms
Photo of a group of students protesting
Ensuring students are prepared to participate effectively in a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society
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Photo of a group of young people carrying protest signs on a college campus
A critical crossroads for higher education and American democracy
Photo of a young man addressing an assembly on a college campus
Students needs tools and opportunities to engage in difficult conversations about sensitive and complex issues
Group photo of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness founding members
Presidents collaborate to share insights, discuss challenges, and build tools that equip students with the skills to master difficult conversations in a divided nation
Image
Guided by three Civic Commitments, presidents develop campus-specific programming that impacts all areas of campus life—from lecture halls to dining rooms to dorms
Photo of a group of students protesting
Ensuring students are prepared to participate effectively in a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society
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The Civic Commitments

Presidents make the following Civic Commitments to our students, our academic communities, and the democratic society we serve:
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Educating for democracy is central to our mission.

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We will prepare our students for a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society.

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We will protect and defend free inquiry.

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Free expression is a critically important element of a civil society and an essential part of university life. It is important to our university community and reflects our core values that promote civil discourse and civic preparedness.
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Mark Ginsberg

President, Towson University
Civic preparedness is the bedrock of a thriving democracy. At Cal State San Marcos, we are dedicated to empowering our students by nurturing their knowledge and honing their skills, preparing them to become active, engaged citizens ready to address and overcome the challenges of tomorrow.
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Ellen Neufeldt

President, California State University San Marcos
Higher education institutions fail in delivering their educational missions if their graduates are not prepared to effectively engage in our democracy.
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Frank Sanchez

President, Manhattanville University
Preparedness for civic engagement and the ability to engage in civil discourse is a deep challenge for open societies across the globe as well as for our college and university campuses. All of education, including higher education, need to help cultivate the skills and capabilities of constructive dialogue, active listening, respectful debate, openness to different viewpoints, negotiation, and collective problem solving. Students are arriving on campus not knowing how to talk to each other, especially those with different viewpoints, and we cannot afford to allow them to leave campus without having learned that critical set of skills.
A photo of Garry Jenkins

Garry Jenkins

President, Bates College
Society today is deeply nuanced, fractured and polarizing. Today's students need practice engaging in the difficult and uncomfortable work of confronting divergent perspectives and even misinformation. Higher education is uniquely positioned to help students learn and leverage civil discourse to build bridges of understanding. This work is challenging, but it is also essential to pursuing peace, protecting democracy, and producing informed, global citizens.
Photo of Farnam Jahanian, President of Carnegie Mellon University

Farnam Jahanian

President, Carnegie Mellon University
There is no bigger issue that exists than the growing divisiveness undermining freedom and equality everywhere. It is harder and harder to participate in the public square. Teaching the skills to address this challenge aligns with our mission of preparing our students to make meaningful change in the world.
Photo of Laurie Patton, President of Middlebury College

Laurie Patton

President, Middlebury College
In and outside the classroom, the free and open and honest exchange of ideas is imperative. Our students, and we in the faculty, administration, and staff, must seize upon this time to promote freedom of thought and expression, to embrace challenges to our assumptions, and to be exemplars of civil discourse, even with views we doubt or oppose.
Photo of Robert Pearigen, President of Sewanee

Robert Pearigen

Vice-Chancellor and President, The University of the South
It's absolutely critical that universities like UW-Madison train our students to be thoughtful, productive, and engaged citizens—our graduates must be able to assess complex information, think critically, and engage productively with those who have different viewpoints, identities and life experiences.
Photo of Jennifer Mnookin, President of University of Wisconsin Madison

Jennifer Mnookin

Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
In this time, it’s crucial that we do more than just bring people together to share the same space. We will double-down on the importance of a thriving, safe and welcoming community for everyone at Whitman. And we will make the most of the extraordinary opportunity for connection and face-to-face learning on a diverse and international campus. We will elevate the importance of constructive civil discourse, where honest conversation from different points of view is valued and leads to deeper understanding and creative collaboration.
Photo of Sarah Bolton, President of Whitman College

Sarah Bolton

President, Whitman College
The ability to have a group of committed presidents with the expertise at the Institute for Citizens & Scholars—it’s the work that Wellesley wanted to engage in. There is no established or validated path in this work, so we’re all navigating together and that’s very powerful.
Photo of Paula Johnson, President of Wellesley College

Paula Johnson

President, Wellesley College
The function of democracy and the function of higher education have these things in common: their viability and integrity require that participants actively listen to and collaborate with others who see the world differently, they require that participants genuinely respect the dignity and freedom of thought of others, and they require that participants value the free exchange of ideas in pursuit of common objectives.
Photo of Grant Cornwell, President of Rollins College

Grant Cornwell

President, Rollins College
Universities must embrace thought pluralism. For higher ed and our society, it is as vital as freedom of inquiry and freedom of expression. If we silence dissension on our college campuses, we are not serving our students and, worse, we may fail to provide them with the tools and skills the American public expects them to graduate with.
Photo of Jeremy Haefner Chancellor of The University of Denver

Jeremy Haefner

Chancellor, University of Denver
The fundamental idea is to challenge yourself—even if that means you will not always be comfortable. Being open to changing your mind, having the ability to hone your arguments, and thinking differently from multiple perspectives: these are essential skills and tools of higher education. It's imperative for leaders in higher education to do all we can to promote dialogue across differences, and that's why I'm so excited to be part of this coalition.
Photo of Sian Leah Beilock President of Dartmouth

Sian Leah Beilock

President, Dartmouth
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