Crucible Moment, (A): College Learning & Democracy's Future

This report calls on the nation to reclaim higher education's civic mission and pushes back against a prevailing national dialogue that limits the mission of higher education to workforce preparation and training while marginalizing disciplines basic to democracy. It points to research findings that suggest that students who participate in civic learning opportunities are more likely to persist in college and complete their degrees, obtain skills prized by employers, and develop habits of social responsibility and civic participation. The report finds that civic learning and learning in traditional academic disciplines are complementary, rather than competitive. Service-learning is discussed as an effective practice in promoting civic learning.