University of Richmond’s Sylvia Gale Selected for National Design Team to Support Civic Engagement of College Students

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — Sylvia Gale, executive director for the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, has been selected to serve on the Democracy Inventory Design Team, which is focused on supporting and advancing democracy on college campuses.

Part of the Higher Education Democracy Initiative, a joint effort between the American Association of Colleges & Universities and Campus Compact, this team is developing collaborative tools and resources for colleges to better understand their civic engagement efforts.

“Supporting and advancing democracy is not only about helping students embrace and navigate the voting process but it is also about asking how our campuses practice democracy,” Gale said.

Gale added that this work includes reviewing programs and courses aimed at students; exploring how institutions promote an environment in which faculty know their engagement and leadership matters; advocating for staff to have agency to demonstrate democracy and engage authentically; and ensuring the greater public, including the surrounding community, regional leaders, and community partners, feel that their knowledge and expertise is valued.

The Design Team, selected through a competitive application process, will build on two democratic inventories developed by Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University. 

“This is an extraordinary group of individuals whose combined depth of knowledge and experience will result in a strong foundation on which we will build this work,” said Bobbie Laur, president of Campus Compact. “Their leadership and collaboration will help us think differently, drive innovation, and help higher education to contribute more effectively to creating the equitable and just democracy we all seek.”

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