Fostering a Civically Engaged Society: The University and Service Learning

Abstract

As public administration is faced with the challenge of making governance work, the university is being called upon to become more involved in the civic engagement movement. Increasing civic engagement requires addressing one of the core problems contributing to its decline: deteriorating community caused by a lack of social capital. Although there is debate about whether there has been a decline in civic engagement or simply a change in the ways citizens participate, there is agreement about the need to increase engagement and to include universities in this process. One of the proposed solutions, advocated by Barber and Battistoni (1993) and Putnam (2000), is service learning.

Empirical data support a positive association between service learning and social capital (D’Agostino, 2006). This paper moves beyond theory to describe actual collaboration between universities and public administration to foster a civically engaged society. I will first show that the university is a key actor in community. I will then describe service learning as the means for universities to fulfill their role in community. This is followed by articulating how, through master of public administration (MPA) programs, the university can move this conversation forward. This effort by universities is then assessed through a survey of 133 MPA chairs.

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Maria J. D’Agostino

Maria J. D’Agostino is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Management at John Jay College, CUNY. D’Agostino received her Ph.D. in Public Administration from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 2006. Her research interests include public participation, public service, and service learning. Among the courses she teaches is the MPA Fieldwork Seminar. Her most recent publications include Social Capital: Lessons from a Service-Learning Program, (Park University, International Center for Civic Engagement) and “A Unique Civic Engagement Tool: The AmericaSpeaks 21^st Century Town Hall Meeting,” in Measuring Government Performance, Public Sector Accountability and Public Participation (New York: Auerbach Publications).