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Political Science

Varner Hall, Room 418
371 Varner Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2352

Political Science

Varner Hall, Room 418
371 Varner Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2352

Three female politicians seated on stage in front of a projector. One is speaking into a microphone.

Center for Civic Engagement

At Oakland University we train scholars and future professionals. But more importantly, we help build informed and active citizens with an eye toward issues of public concern and importance locally, nationally and globally. Our students are empowered to think about dynamic solutions to tackle real-world problems. We challenge the status quo and train tomorrow’s leaders to collaboratively approach complicated problems and unearth new solutions that will move our communities forward.

The Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) takes important issues of public concern and public policy out of the classroom and actively engages many different stakeholders — includes students, faculty, policy makers and community members — in non-partisan, deliberative and productive dialogue. Indeed, democracy is better served through respectful discussions about important issues.

In short, the Center for Civic Engagement acts as a “convener of conversations” on a variety of issues that impact the local, state and federal levels. These types of events are designed to lead to a more informed citizenry in the surrounding communities.

The Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement serves the OU and surrounding community by:

  • Informing the campus and community about important issues of public concern through non-partisan dialogue
  • Supporting and undertaking efforts to enhance civic engagement and civic literacy
  • Promoting research related to public policy to inform policy makers and the public
  • Encouraging student involvement in civic engagement and public policy through volunteerism, internships and experiential learning 

For more information on the Center for Civic Engagement, please contact Dave Dulio at ddulio@oakland.edu.

The CCE translates academic knowledge into experiential learning by sending our students and faculty into the community to build solutions. As a “convener of conversations,” we invite and host policy experts to campus and create opportunities for the community to attend panels and engage with these experts. We provide forums for public dialogue to take place, host elected officials on campus to discuss important issues of the day, and work to take OU faculty into the community to share their expertise on a wide range of topics. Utilizing technology, these conversations are shared with an even larger audience through podcasts and social media channels. Where appropriate, CCE partners with community organizations — civic, nonprofit and other public organizations in southeastern Michigan and across the state — to expand our reach into different communities. We aim to help create a more informed citizenry and build democracy through non-partisan, respectful and deliberative discussions about important issues of public concern and policy.

Transcript

My name is Dave Dulio and I am a professor in the Political Science Department at Oakland University. I’m also really pleased to say that I am the director of a new and exciting initiative here at OU – the Center for Civic Engagement.

Generally, “civic” refers to those aspects of our lives that involve being an active participant in our democratic society. Activities for the Center will focus on things like political participation, enhancing civic literacy, and hosting civil, respectful, and deliberative conversations about issues of public concern.

Civic engagement on our campus is not new; it has been happening here for years. In fact, that’s why we are here at historic Meadow Brook Hall. Civic engagement at OU can be traced back to Matilda Dodge Wilson, OU’s founder, who was the first female lieutenant governor or Michigan (or any state) and who served on the state board of education. One could say that civic engagement is in our blood. In more recent years, we’ve hosted a presidential primary debate and had numerous dignitaries visit campus to address our students and members of the community. We’ve also created special collections in Kresge Library featuring former members of Congress and hosted countless of discussions about issues ranging from election results to foreign policy.

The Center will work to broaden these efforts and make them more accessible, conduct them more intentionally, and support the efforts of others who engage in civic engagement efforts across campus.

One of the main goals of the Center is to establish for Oakland University as a “convener of conversations” related to issues of public importance. This could be in the form of town hall meeting focused on issues or with elected officials, panel discussions about relevant public policy issues, candidate debates, or other formats.

The opportunities to expand civic engagement work on campus are nearly boundless and extend to all corners of campus. Issues of public (and campus) concern stretch across our institution.

In the weeks, months, and years to come look for the Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement to be the pre-eminent platform for civic engagement work in Southeast Michigan.