HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE GUIDE
In the following “action sheets” we present ways in which presidents can support student civic engagement on their campus. The Raise Your Voice campaign, a national effort to galvanize students in the democratic process and their campus, is diverse in its activities and includes campus-based, state and national activities. We have provided resource sheets for you to share with students, faculty and community service directors. We have also included a template for a press release to your campus and local newspapers. Importantly, these materials have been designed for local customization so you can adapt them to fit your campus culture. We encourage you to share ideas with us that work well on your campus to engage students in the Raise Your Voice campaign.
HOW TO GET STARTED
President as Broker for an Engaged Campus:
(a) Consider meeting early in the semester with the student representative assembly (student government) and other student campus leaders (including clubs and athletic teams), requesting their help and extending a challenge. Consider using the Wingspread document, “The New Student Politics,” as the background for such a discussion.
(b) Consider meeting with administrative leadership, especially those in academic and student affairs. Share the enclosed information; ask for their ideas and help.
(c) Consider meeting with appropriate committee(s) of the Board, involving their thoughts and assistance, giving you an opportunity to have them discuss the big issues of student civic engagement, civic responsibility, and the relationship of those issues to the mission of the institution. We encourage you to use a direct linkage between students and the Board, for example a panel involving students, faculty, trustees and Alumni. It could be a “win-win” for all, reflecting the strength of your students and your faculty and assuring student access to the full range of institutional authorities.
With Campus Groups Consider a Challenge in Each of Four Areas:
(a) What are the habits of engagement and the processes of active citizenship now available on campus?
(b) How can (do) we use the specific strengths of our college/university to address civic value? For example, what research opportunities, what courses or parts of courses, what supplemental activities do we, as an institution, provide? How do we make public to students that we think these matters are important?
(c) How do we link civic engagement and community-building beyond the campus? How are we both “a place apart” and “a place connected” to the realities of our local community?
(d) How do we explore privilege at the college? How do our students understand civic responsibility? What are the special expectations we (as faculty, or as a Board, etc.) should have of our own institution of higher education in these areas?
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(For this, as well as for other forms and handouts in this electronic resource guide you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
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Click here to download this entire resource guide (7 pages) 
