Creating “Civic Sense”: Implementing Civic Engagement Courses in All Disciplines

Creating “Civic Sense”: Implementing Civic Engagement Courses in All Disciplines

By Connie Jorgensen, Piedmont Virginia Community College

In August 2020, Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC), a small community college in Charlottesville, Virginia, launched a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) titled “Civic Sense: Engaging Students in the Civic Life of Their Communities” (Piedmont Virginia Community College 2019). Our goal is to ensure that “because of their experiences at PVCC, graduates will be more likely to be civically engaged.” Choosing the QEP topic was a college-wide endeavor. We began by surveying students, faculty, and staff for topic suggestions. Shared-governance organizations were consulted and then the president’s staff reduced the list to 10 topics. Finally, when the college community voted, civic engagement emerged as the top vote-getter. This article introduces the QEP and focuses its highlight: civic engagement courses.