
Activation Plan

Below is an overview of some campus activities:
- The President’s Civic and Community Leadership Academy is focused on engaging students in understanding local democracy and issues that face communities where USM’s campuses are located. Students work to understand place, to identify reliable sources of information, and to engage in deliberative and respectful dialogue. They meet with elected officials, non-profit leaders, and others engaged in solving social and economic concerns. Final projects range from public testimony to op-eds, research, and public service announcements, which are archived in an open education resource.
Related articles:
61 College Presidents Unite to Advance Civic Preparedness and Uphold Free Expression on U.S. Campuses
Just released – From Polarization to Progress: College Presidents Join Forces
Watch the video: Graduates: Speak Freely, Listen Deeply, Lead Bravely.
Higher Education Isn’t Retreating. It’s Rising to the Challenge.
Join the growing consoritum of campus leaders urgently committed to collectively restoring higher education’s role in democracy.

Jacqueline Edmondson
President, University of Southern Maine

Below is an overview of some campus activities:
- The President’s Civic and Community Leadership Academy is focused on engaging students in understanding local democracy and issues that face communities where USM’s campuses are located. Students work to understand place, to identify reliable sources of information, and to engage in deliberative and respectful dialogue. They meet with elected officials, non-profit leaders, and others engaged in solving social and economic concerns. Final projects range from public testimony to op-eds, research, and public service announcements, which are archived in an open education resource.