Fox Cities News

The University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh (UWO) is enhancing its efforts in civic engagement, democracy, and student involvement on campus and in the broader community. This initiative has brought national recognition to UWO through new partnerships and designations.

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ed Martini stated, “Great universities are engaged partners and experimenters in these critical topics, and UWO is committed to them.” He highlighted collaborations with local, state, and national leaders to address issues like misinformation in the age of AI while engaging students in meaningful discussions.

In March, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) recognized UWO as a leader in civic engagement by designating it as a "full participation institution" under the Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement (CLDE) Coalition’s criteria. This designation acknowledged UWO's general education program that requires second-year students to engage in community experiences.

Martini expressed pride in this recognition: “We’re proud to be recognized for helping instill these fundamentals in UWO students.”

Additionally, UWO’s Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research has partnered with the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust (WisACT) and The Carter Center. Dr. Sam Larson, interim director of the Whitburn Center, emphasized their shared mission of promoting trust across political divides: “Our initial founding mission aligns really well with WisACT... We’re now leading this effort in Wisconsin.”

WisACT co-founders Scott McCallum and David D. Haynes praised the partnership's potential to strengthen democratic institutions. Haynes noted concerns over trust in institutions from statewide listening sessions: “It’s simply critical that we work together to rebuild that trust.”

The Carter Center supports networks promoting democracy resilience across six states including Wisconsin. Larson mentioned that three UWO student research assistants are already contributing to related projects.

The Center for Civic and Community Engagement at UWO is also playing a key role by promoting healthy democracy through various programs such as the Civic Fellows Leadership Program, Fireside Chat Series, Dialogues Workshops, and events sponsored by the Freedom of Expression Fund.

Director Mike Lueder remarked on the growing list of initiatives: “Every year our programming... expanded,” adding that more opportunities will be available next year.

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