A few weeks ago, Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen and a few other civic-related books, visited Wright State. Since I have taken so long to write about his visit, I think a bulleted list of take-aways will be best.
- Help students think about how they're going to be engaged after graduation
- Help students understand "slow thinking" - this might help them understand that evaluation is a process, not a quick judgement. (See: Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow.
- What if a non-traditional student with a job and a family only has one hour per week to volunteer? Help them prioritize the tasks they could accomplish in that time.
- Give your students electoral and non-electoral ways to be engaged, provide examples of both.
- Can you use your institutional capabilities to help students navigate the complexities of voting when away from home? Help educate the students about the steps they need to take to ensure that they vote (absentee at home or near campus). Help them navigate the complexities.
- VCU partnered with local public housing districts in Richmond, VA. A VCU student canvassed the neighborhood WITH a resident, and helped register people to vote.