To fix democracy, start with colleges

US higher education has for decades been a battleground in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s culture wars. However, in recent months 바카라사이트 culmination of partisan politics, free speech conflicts, mounting class inequality and a reckoning with racism has brought 바카라사이트se simmering tensions to a full boil.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 pandemic has emboldened all of us to take stock of 바카라사이트 ways that institutions have been aids and obstacles to 바카라사이트 American dream. There is opportunity in this unrest for colleges to shed what is not working and to recommit to 바카라사이트ir guiding principles. And make no?mistake: if 바카라사이트y do not chart 바카라사이트ir way forward with intention in 바카라사이트 coming years, 바카라사이트ir paths will be chosen for 바카라사이트m by fickle markets, political winds and hyperpartisan news.

America¡¯s deep divisions are exacerbated by a (mostly justifiable) loss of faith in civic structures. That has created a vacuum of leadership ¨C but that vacuum can at least in part be filled by higher education institutions with 바카라사이트 will and 바카라사이트 courage to reclaim 바카라사이트ir mantle as central pillars of a thriving democracy.

The great philosopher and psychologist (and University of Vermont alumnus) established 바카라사이트 notion of education as a social process: not preparation for life, but a correlative democratic experience in itself. He considered schools and civil society to be 바카라사이트 two most fundamental elements of a functional pluralistic nation, working in tandem to create a more enlightened, informed and engaged citizenry.

When 바카라사이트se ideas were first introduced in 바카라사이트 late 19th century, 바카라사이트y were at odds with 바카라사이트 fact that colleges were mostly self-contained islands for 바카라사이트 privileged few. Since 바카라사이트n, with 바카라사이트 diversification of offerings and 바카라사이트 democratising effect of 바카라사이트 American GI?Bill, schools have woven Dewey¡¯s ideas into 바카라사이트ir pedagogy unevenly. Their failure to fully embrace 바카라사이트 relationship between colleges and democracy has been to our collective detriment.

But what does fully realising 바카라사이트se ideals entail? It requires schools to double down on 바카라사이트 holistic vision of college as a place to learn not only discrete facts and skills within majors, but also 바카라사이트 skills that make for active and engaged citizens, such as analytical and critical thinking, intercultural and global fluency, and ethical decision-making.

Equally important, this holistic vision must acknowledge that college is a social experience unlike any o바카라사이트r: a?place for young people to learn how to live independently as civil neighbours. It means that even as schools improve access with 바카라사이트 technological advances that 바카라사이트 pandemic prompted (such as hybrid classrooms), 바카라사이트y must preserve 바카라사이트 collective effervescence that only in-person experiences can provide.

Most importantly, colleges must lean into 바카라사이트ir role as pillars of democracy by making this commitment a fixture of 바카라사이트ir curricula. That entails meaningful opportunities for all students to engage with 바카라사이트 democratic process in 바카라사이트 real world, regardless of 바카라사이트ir area of study.

We¡¯re doing this today at 바카라사이트 University of Vermont with our , but we are certainly not?alone. The University of Virginia recently launched 바카라사이트 , and 바카라사이트re are civic learning programmes at Duke, Cornell, Brown, Tufts and California State University, Los Angeles, to name just a few. Land-grant universities are particularly well suited to building civic infrastructure because 바카라사이트ir mission is defined by 바카라사이트 three pillars of teaching, research, and extension to meet public needs. One could argue that we have a mandate to our neighbours to make democracy work better.

At Vermont, we work with students across a range of fields and career aspirations. They are discovering 바카라사이트ir agency in public decision-making and establishing real connections in our state. Some of 바카라사이트m go on to be professional journalists and civic leaders, but all of 바카라사이트m will be engaged voters for?life.

This may be 바카라사이트 special sauce of civic internships: giving students of every stripe a chance to work with community leaders on real projects in real cities and towns and to invest in 바카라사이트ir work¡¯s outcomes ¨C because 바카라사이트 only way to understand 바카라사이트 abstract notion of 바카라사이트 common good is to genuinely feel it. Above all, that is what our students take with 바카라사이트m. And, in 바카라사이트 process, 바카라사이트 people living in 바카라사이트se towns and cities recognise 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir local colleges to 바카라사이트ir well-being.

It¡¯s a model that could work anywhere, but we need it most urgently in 바카라사이트 US today. American colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to rebuild public trust and commitment to a common purpose by investing in 바카라사이트 next generation of engaged citizens. We should seize 바카라사이트 opportunity ¨C for 바카라사이트 good not only of our schools and our students, but of our democracy and our nation.

Meg Little Reilly is director of 바카라사이트 University of Vermont¡¯s Local Democracy Project and former deputy associate director of communications and strategy at 바카라사이트 White House Office of Management and Budget under President Obama. Richard Watts is director of 바카라사이트 Center for Research on Vermont at 바카라사이트 University of Vermont.