Community Engaged Learning Goals

Outcome

Established in 2024, Northern Illinois University prepares community-engaged students who exhibit civic competence and community engagement domains. Through domains, the knowledge, skills, disposition and participation constructions and developed into learning goals.

Civic Competence

Knowledge

• Understands the complexity of a community/social issue
• Examines organizations that address a community/social issue
• Analyzes actions or processes to be taken and systems in place to address a community/social issue

Skills

• Questions and critically analyzes a community/social issue
• Applies discipline-specific knowledge to address a community/social issue
• Collaborates with people with diverse perspectives and social identities to address a community/social issue

Community Engagement

Disposition

• Considers own personal attitudes, values, and beliefs when considering a community/social issue
• Acknowledges one’s own civic responsibility

Participation

• Leads/Coordinates efforts in addressing a community/social issue
• Engages in the community in a variety of ways

Notes

• Actions/processes are those steps a student can take to address an issue such as advocacy, voting, contacting elected officials, and community organizing.
• Systems are those environments within which actions/processes could be enacted, such as with economic, administrative, social, or governmental systems.
• Social identity refers to a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s).
• Types of engagement activities include: direct, indirect, advocacy, research, fundraising/philanthropy.

Adopted with permission from the Center for Civic Engagement, Illinois State University