St. Cloud State Partners with the Community to Effectively Reduce High Risk Drinking

By Jennifer Sell Matzke

Thanks to a series of successful collaborative efforts to alter the culture when it comes to alcohol and drug use on the campus of St. Cloud State University and the surrounding community, dramatic, positive and measurable changes are occurring.

In 2005, results from a college student health assessment showed that 58% of St. Cloud State students reported engaging in high risk drinking (defined as 5 or more alcohol beverages in a single sitting) within the last two weeks — a rate significantly above the national average reported by college students across the country.  The negative consequences associated with this behavior were taking a toll not only on students but also on the campus and surrounding community.

In order to address this problem, SCSU implemented an environmental management approach to addressing high risk drinking and the related harmful consequences.  Now, just seven years later, the high risk drinking rate for SCSU has fallen to 34.1%, a rate on par with the national average.  This is a feat that is now bringing national attention to SCSU and the city of St. Cloud, primarily because of the partnerships that have evolved and developed to make this change possible.

This change in culture can be attributed in large part to the numerous collaborative efforts put forth between members of St. Cloud State University, the Neighborhood University Community Coalition, the St. Cloud Police Department and St. Cloud city administrators.  In July 2010 the Social Host, Provisional Licensing for Liquor Establishments, and Disruptive Intoxication Ordinances were proposed as a collaborative effort by the various groups mentioned above to address concerns within the community.  These ordinances were ultimately adopted in the city of St. Cloud and the impact has been extremely positive.  For example, as a result of the Social Host Ordinance, the city has seen a drastic reduction in the number of loud parties and university neighbors report a significantly improved quality of life as a result.

In August of 2010, shortly after the new ordinances were passed, the city and university partnered together to introduce and implement the IMPACT Diversion Program. This joint program is designed to offer individuals who have been charged with an underage alcohol violation the opportunity to receive alcohol education and prevention services. The Diversion program has resulted in a reduction in underage consumption recidivism from 12% to 6.9%, in nearly 1900 cases in the past two years as well as a significant decrease in the number of alcohol related emergency room admissions.  Since Diversion is also an option for non-students, underage individuals have returned to St. Cloud to complete Diversion from as far away as Illinois, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Texas.

Beginning in fall 2012, SCSU has also partnered with St. Cloud Technical and Community College to provide IMPACT programming on their campus. The two colleges now share a graduate assistant who works to provide prevention programming to both campuses.  These combined efforts have drastically changed the environment in the city of St. Cloud and the culture around drinking on campus at both SCSU and SCTCC.

Through these efforts, the city of St. Cloud and area colleges have witnessed firsthand the impact of collaboration in affecting change, the importance of partnerships and data collection and the power of education to reduce alcohol use.  These efforts have been the catalyst for various other partnerships to address alcohol issues in the community. For example, the St. Cloud Community Alliance (SCCA) evolved out of these efforts and brings together city leaders, campus leaders, residents, students and businesses from throughout the city of St. Cloud and the surrounding communities.  The SCCA is a coalition with a simple mission:  to make St. Cloud a better place for everyone; with a primary focus to reduce high-risk drinking and the negative impacts on our community.

The collaborative relationships that were built and exist between these entities continue to thrive and provide numerous opportunities for partners to work together for the sake of creating an improved quality of life for all residents, students, visitors, faculty and staff within the city of St. Cloud.

Jennifer Sell Matzke is Interim Assistant Dean of Students for Chemical Health and Outreach Programming at St. Cloud State University.

Discovering Citizenship: Public Discourse at Gustavus Adolphus College

By Tristan Richards

“As  a citizen, I have the responsibility to act,” said Junior Management and Communication Studies major Blia Xiong.  This is what she learned from Public Discourse, a 100-level course in the Department of Communication Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College.  Public Discourse challenges students, who are often first-years, to identify a problem in their community, research it fully, and take action to address that problem.  They are encouraged to choose an issue that they are passionate about.  Students spend an entire semester working on one intensive project, learning about citizenship along the way.

In 2007, Public Discourse replaced a Public Speaking course which used to be a requirement for the Communication Studies major.  Leila Brammer, Professor of Communication Studies and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies said, “We thought we could do a better job teaching argument—particularly practical public argument—that [students] could use in the real world.”

The Department of Communication Studies spent a year discussing alternatives and structuring what later became Public Discourse.  “Public speaking is about citizenship, and it always has been […] so we really wanted to find that foundation again,” Brammer said.  “We stepped back and said, ‘So when do citizens engage in a community?  When do they engage in ways that are really useful in helping them develop skills, but also for the community?’ and we realized it’s when people are passionate,” Brammer said.

The faculty decided that they wanted to channel that kind of passion into students’ own communities, so they came up with the civic engagement portion of the class.  Students work directly with leaders in their home (or Gustavus) communities to find ways to address whichever problem they choose.  Instead of writing and giving many speeches about unrelated topics, students now work on the same project all semester, relating each presentation to a different stage or piece of their project.

Since switching courses, research completed in the department has shown that students develop better argument skills, speaking skills, group interaction skills, interpersonal skills, and communication skills in general.  They are more confident in asking questions in large group settings and more likely to participate in class discussions, and, anecdotally, they become better writers.  Beyond these skills though, students come out of the class feeling empowered.  “They really come out believing that they can make a difference in the world,” said Brammer.

Junior Spanish and Secondary Education major Laura Flicek took Public Discourse as a first-year student at Gustavus, after shadowing an ELL teacher at St. Peter High School during January Term.  “I really enjoyed it but I also saw how much those kids struggle on a day to day basis,” Flicek said.  “[ELL students] were thrown into the mainstream classes and expected to do just as well as the American students.”  In order to address this issue, she started a program through Study Buddies where Gustavus students tutor ELL students at the high school.

Before students take action, though, there is extensive background work happening.  Public Discourse students spend the first half of the semester researching their topics, before ever taking action.  “That research process isn’t just about supporting your argument and finding the best available evidence.  It’s also about finding out what voices have been left out,” said Brammer.  Before starting her ELL tutor program, Laura spent a large amount of time in the classroom, observing and interviewing students.  She wrote a case study about each student in a portfolio that was handed in at the end of the semester.

Public Discourse has made enormous change in its students and their communities.  Flicek commented, “If you think about each year, all the different projects that go out and how they affect other people and communities—that probably wouldn’t have happened if they wouldn’t have taken that Public Discourse class.”  Each year, countless students engage in their communities through their Public Discourse projects.

However, at the heart of the course is an emphasis on civic engagement, which Brammer defined as, “going in the community and interacting with the community as a citizen.”  She continued, “You’re thinking very clearly about your perspective, your privileges, your oppressions, and also about other people’s viewpoints.”  Each student is required to analyze these ideas in relation to their projects.  Professors and students have agreed that civic engagement is more intentional and intensive than general volunteer work.

Junior Communication Studies major Brian Simons, whose project focused on creating understandable signage at a hospital, said, “Civic engagement is about giving back to my community and realizing that the world is full of problems that need to be addressed.”  These are powerful lessons coming from a 100-level class, but many students learn much more.

Through this intentional civic engagement, students subtly learn about their responsibilities as citizens.  “In their final papers, [students talk] about this obligation of citizenship and talk about their own privilege as well,” said Brammer.  When students take action against a social problem that they are passionate about, they learn how to act in the ‘real world.’

Alumni Matt Wasson ’12 commented, “[Citizenship] is not easy; it must be intentionally practiced and expanded upon.”  When he took Public Discourse, Wasson created a student-led recycling program at Duluth East High School.  He says that since taking the class, his project has become a huge interview topic.  This sentiment is shared by many other students.

During Public Discourse, many students get their first taste of citizenship.  “Public Discourse is the best thing I’ve ever done in my career,” said Brammer.  “It’s an incredible privilege to watch students have that type of transformational experience, where all of a sudden they see themselves as citizens.”

Senior French and Communication Studies major Anna Morton’s project focused on researching child sponsorship programs in Rwanda.  “Going into the semester, I had no idea how I could actually do something productive or make a real, genuine difference in any sphere,” Morton said.  Months later, she changed her mind.  “I have a responsibility as a citizen to my community.  It is both a responsibility and a privilege, because as I work to make my community a better place, I receive intrinsic benefits as well.”

Public Discourse is making change at Gustavus and in communities around the world, by preparing students to be active citizens and to stand up for what they believe in.  “What I have learned from Public Discourse has been an integral part of my education here at Gustavus,” Simons said.  Students often take what they learned from Public Discourse and apply it to projects and themes from their other classes.

Most importantly, though, Public Discourse opens students’ eyes to the world around them.  Reflecting on his experience in Public Discourse, Wasson said, “Always look for ways to learn more, dig deeper, or change your life while changing others for the better.”

Tristan Richards is a senior at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Angela Bonfiglio, an Augsburg student and Newman Civic Fellow, shares reflections on  active citizenship.

DemocracyU

By Angela Bonfiglio

For a number of years, I have found a variety of sources of inspiration to see why it is important to be an active citizen in the world and for me personally to take action and participate in what is most important.  This inspiration has come from sources such as my faith, inspirational leaders, people who believed in me, and being struck by some of the deepest issues that face our society, such as racism, poverty and inequality in schools. It is an imbalance in equity and fairness that is at the core of many of these issues.

As humans we are always changing. This is especially true in college where opportunities continue to arise as learning takes place inside and outside the classroom.  If the person I was, knew the person I am today, we would not recognize each other.

At the end of my sophomore…

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How Should Higher Education Help Us Create The Society We Want?

By Laura A. Lake and Kara Lindaman
From the DemocracyU blog

On April 19, 2012, Winona State University hosted the inaugural civic summit on the National Issues Forum and American Commonwealth Project Deliberative Dialogue Initiative on Shaping Our Future:  How Should Higher Education Help Us Create The Society We Want?  The first national conversation using this issue guide was held in honor of WSU’s retiring president, Judith Ramaley, who is a tireless advocate for higher education and its civic mission.  President Ramaley serves as a member of the President’s Council for the American Commonwealth Partnership.

Over 110 participants attended the Civic Summit at Winona State University.  Individuals came as high school and college students, university faculty and staff, community members, higher education experts, media editors and journalists, local law enforcement, and business people.  It was quite the range of participants and they were mixed in groups with WSU students as trained moderators through the Minnesota Campus Compact moderator training series.

When organizing the Civic Summit, we immediately determined the event should be student led, as moderators, participants and organizers. This stems from our rich experience in student organizing and mobilizing efforts.  It also reflects our experience with the Center for Democracy and Citizenship’s training led by Harry Boyte and Dennis Donovan in the “We the People” series held with the Minnesota Campus Compact in Spring 2011.  For many of the fifteen plus students who became moderators, this was a new experience.  Despite its unfamiliarity, the students rose to the challenge, prepared their notes, and were comfortable enough to welcome others to their tables.  Each group of approximately 10-12 guests had two students—one as moderator and one as recorder.   Each group was designed to have a variety of individuals from different backgrounds, however the structure was very minimal to encourage open and honest discussion.  With little formality, students forged ahead, were indeed taken seriously by others, and extolled confidence and credibility to members of their groups. Read the rest at DemocracyU.

How Should Higher Education Help Us Create The Society We Want?.

What is patriotism?

By Megan Felz, Freshman, University of Minnesota

Republished from the DemocracyU blog

In our ever-changing society, we are constantly faced with the challenge of evolving and adapting to what the world and its situations demand from us.  Along with that, I believe it is important to constantly challenge what we thought we previously knew and develop our beliefs in addition. I was given the ability to do just that when I attended a debate at Trinity Church. Trinity church, a recent addition to the Cedar-Riverside intersection, is located at what was once St. Martin’s Table, a restaurant where 85% percent of their profits were donated to charity. Though St. Martin’s Table is no longer in business, Trinity church does an excellent job at keeping its spirit and values of community alive.

Read the rest on the DemocracyU blog What is patriotism?

My Thoughts on Women Survivors Unite in Exercise at Winona State University

By Kasia Kilijanek, Winona State University

According to BreastCancer.org, “one in eight women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime.” Cancer affects nearly everyone in the U.S. some way or another. Two summers ago, I met Ashley. Her mother was just diagnosed with breast cancer and we were just about to board an airplane to England for a study abroad trip. We wouldn’t be back for about three weeks. When I was 11 years old, my grandmother went through chemotherapy and radiation to fight her breast cancer. My grandfather passed away from colon cancer. A long-time family friend was diagnosed with blood cancer and was told he had only six months left.

 
With cancer comes treatment, which can sometimes be worse than the cancer itself. Research is beginning to show that one of the best ways to combat the side effects of cancer treatments is to move. Exercise! Although empirical research is not yet available, there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence that exercise can help reduce the feeling of fatigue, keep functional abilities, maintain a healthy body weight, and increase overall quality of life for cancer patients.

 
Several universities have programs where breast cancer survivors exercise with students in training for various health fields. When Ashley informed me the next in 2010 that she was going to try to get this program started Winona State University, I immediately volunteered to help. We are proud to announce that this coming May marks the first full year of Women Survivors Unite in Exercise (WSUE) at Winona State University.

 
Participating as a fitness trainer in our WSUE program at Winona State University has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. The movement science major at WSU is mainly for preparing students for graduate school, rather than teaching practical skills for a specific career. With the WSUE program movement science students now have the opportunity to get hands-on by creating exercise programs for cancer patients in the Winona community. With this comes a great deal of learning how to act as professionals. Also, the volunteer experience looks good on resumes and applications to graduate schools, which is a goal of mine in pursuit of a career in physical therapy.

 
The overall experience of being a student cancer fitness trainer is fun. Though the early mornings are sometimes difficult, I love showing up to help someone improve their health and gain or regain their physical fitness. Each survivor is assigned one or two personal student trainers. We start our morning by taking resting blood pressure and heart rate, and then warming up with some basic lymphedema stretches. The students lead their survivors through a 40 minute individualized exercise regimen, which includes aerobic, resistance and balance exercises. Oftentimes, the students will do the exercises along with the survivors. The motivation in our survivors is strong and the support from other members of the group is remarkable. For example, when one of our survivors and her student trainers began to jog around the track one morning, we all clapped and cheered her on. Though she may have completed only half a lap, the strides she has made are uplifting to us all. Another survivor, Peggy, had to have been inspiring to everyone. She walked at least four miles a day outside of WSUE and could probably do more sit-ups than the average college student.

 

 
I have come to realize that our survivors have so much to give and teach us as well. I signed up for my first-ever 5k race and casually mentioned it one morning at WSUE, because two other students were also running. Without announcement, Giselle was there at the end of our race to cheer for all of us. When it came time to listen to each survivor’s cancer story, every one of use was moved with emotion. My eyes were opened to what hardships cancer patients go through; from each cycle of radiation or chemotherapy to every new medication to every doctor visit. The stories varied, as cancer does, as each survivor described different challenges and setbacks that they had to overcome in their battle with the disease.  They have the opportunity to grasp life once again. Every one of our survivors has developed a newfound sense of what is important in life. Many times, we heard that the small things that used to matter don’t anymore. What they used to fuss or complain about no longer bothers them. Family and friends and doing things that you love and make you feel good are what matter the most.

 
Even if I didn’t gain an ounce of experience as a cancer fitness trainer, I know I have still learned a great deal about life’s priorities. I am excited to check back in a few years to see how the program has grown. It doesn’t take much to understand what a good thing WSUE has going for both the survivors and students in the community of Winona.

 

Motivation

Happy New Year!  Did you make resolutions?  (If so, have you broken any of them yet?)  Motivation is widely recognized as a key factor in successful follow through—and, not surprisingly, in learning too.

Teenagers’ interest in pursuing engineering, for instance, increases dramatically when they hear about the ways it might benefit them and the world.  A recent survey by Intel and Change the Equation found:

• 63 percent of teens have never considered a career in engineering.
• 61 percent of teens are more likely to consider engineering after learning that engineering majors make an average annual income of $75,000; more than 50 percent are persuaded by the fact that the unemployment rate among engineers is more than 4 percentage points lower than the national rate.
• The societal benefits of what engineers do, like preventing disasters or generating cleaner electricity, are particularly resonant with teens that have never considered engineering before.  Learning about engineering feats such as saving the Chilean miners who were trapped for 69 days motivates 52 percent to think twice about the career.

“The students who are not interested in engineering are most likely to use the word ‘difficult’ to describe engineering,” commented Chronicle of Higher Education blogger Robert Talbert, but “students are willing to take on difficult tasks as long as they know there will be some payoff—for themselves or for the world, or both—at the end of it.”  (And really, are those of us done with school any different?)

With big goals, we’re better off breaking them down and recognizing shorter-term accomplishments and payoffs.  Students studying to be engineers—or anything else—can address public problems long before they’re full-time professionals, and doing so will help the classroom content seem relevant and the students feel successful.  Among the strategies for motivating students to learn, recommended by the authors of How Learning Works:  7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching:  assigning students “authentic, real-world tasks,” including service-learning projects.

Most people in this network don’t need to be reminded of the power of engaged learning, glad as we might be to see it noted in this kind of book.  Yet we can always use more examples of effective practice, more clarity on our common goals, more evidence of positive change.

– Julie Plaut

Meet the Author: Corey Dolgon

Corey Dolgon is Professor of Sociology and Director of Community Based Learning at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachusetts. He is also co-author (with Chris Baker) of the book, Social Problems: A Service Learning Approach.

Corey is a great example of someone practicing public sociology through academic civic engagement. One of his newer projects is This Week in Sociology, a website dedicated to “connecting your classroom to the world.” The site has lots of great examples of using a community lens to teach Sociology.

Dolgon is an articulate advocate for public sociology, and is co-editor of the book, Pioneers of Public Sociology: 30 Years of Humanity and Society.

Corey is full of great insights into teaching through community engagement. Be sure to check out his work.

Bringing sociologists back in

View more presentations from Minnesota Campus Comapct

Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows, continued:

Claire  Bergren,  Augsburg College

Claire Bergren

Claire Bergren, a junior at Augsburg College, is deeply engaged in work around racial justice and social issues linked to poverty. Through the Bonner Leader Program,Claire engages directly with a community organization in North Minneapolis to do community organizing and community based research around educational opportunities for students in low income neighborhoods. Claire has taken her experience and knowledge to expand ways of working in the community to get to the root of political and social inequalities. Claire will continue to work in North Minneapolis this summertraining student-leaders to work on issues of inequality and public policy, while also pursuing an internship in the Minnesota capital for the next academic year.
Jordan Wente, Rochester Community and Technical College

Jordan Wente

Jordan Wente, a graduating sophomore at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC), advocates for human rights through social entrepreneurism.    As a teaching assistant, tutor, project leader, and founding student member of  RCTC’s Cambodia Service Learning Trip, his work has helped create a “Fairly Traded” small business in his community where students purchase items from partner NGOs in Cambodia and sell items locally to raise money and social consciousness.  The profits are used to purchase sewing machines for the women sewing the products sold. He has also helped raise over $30,000 to build toilets and wells in Cambodia for rural schools. Jordan was also a co-recipient of a 2010 State Farm mini-grant, co-sponsored by MN Campus Compact, to support work in Cambodia.

Claire Curran, Gustavus Adolphus College

Claire Curran

Claire Curran, a sophomore at Gustavus Adolphus College, is passionate about interfaith cooperation. Claire interned for the Interfaith Youth Core, a nonprofit building the interfaith movement across the country. She is the founder of MOSAIC, a student organization that affirms the dignity of all religious and nonreligious traditions through dialogue, education and service. Claire facilitates weekly interfaith discussions, campus-wide events and has represented Gustavus at interfaith conferences in Minneapolis, MN and Washington, DC. Claire plans on studying in India next fall to gain a better understanding of global issues and the role interfaith cooperation can play in creating solutions.

Amanda Bardonner, St.Cloud State University

Amanda Bardonner

Amanda Bardonner, a junior at St. Cloud State University, is an active student leader currently serving as the Student Association President and recently has been elected to serve as the State Chair for the Minnesota State University Student Association. Throughout her term, Amanda has engaged students in community-wide discussions and transformed the reputation of Student Government.  As an extension of her role, Amanda has strengthened relationships with community members and built relationships with state legislators while fighting for funding for higher education. Amanda also serves on the St. Cloud City Student Advisory Committee that reports directly to the St. Cloud Mayor.

Eric Goldfischer, Macalester College

Eric Goldfischer

Eric Goldfischer is a student leader at Macalester College in the area of Economic Justice. His efforts encompass direct service, partnership building, research and policy work. He began a relationship between Macalester and two innovative organizations that address the issue of homelessness. He recruited other students to be involved and provided support for student volunteers. He worked with Minneapolis City Council members to pass a resolution recognizing Homelessness Awareness Month. Eric has completed policy research on the issue of housing trusts for low-income people and this summer will be a civic engagement fellow through Macalester’s Political Science department. Eric also attended MN Campus Compact’s Student Leadership Summit in the fall of 2010.

U of M Morris Student, Zac Van Cleve ’13, Supports City of Morris through Students in Service

Read about some of the great work that a Students in Service Member is doing  at the University of Minnesota Morris.  Students in Service is a part time AmeriCorps program co-sponsored by Minnesota Campus Compact.

Zac Van Cleve

“The City of Morris lucked out when it snagged one of four Students in Service (SIS) last fall. The Center for Small Towns (CST) at the University of Minnesota, Morris provided four students to the nationwide AmeriCorps program last fall, a number they’ve upped to 11 during spring semester.

Students participating in the program give 300 hours of service over the course of a year. Zac Van Cleve ’13, St. Paul, decided to take a closer look at the opportunity when Paula O’Loughlin, professor of political science, brought up the project to him.” Click here to read the full story.