About

History

This website reflects the work of JMU's Civic Engagement Task Force.  The Provost, Dr. Douglas Brown, created it in September 2008 in response to nationwide efforts to promote "engagement" as a goal of higher education. Even the prestigious Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is on board with this project; among its better-known classifications, it now includes an elective "Community Engagement" option, and a quick look at its website reveals a wide array of articles pertaining to civic and political engagement. At JMU, where the institution's mission statement clearly refers to students as "citizens," many different individuals, programs, and units have joined the cause, yet there is no communication and coordination among them and no way to identify and recognize their curricular activities. The specific charge of the Task Force was to consider ways of addressing these needs, and to ascertain JMU's institutional position on civic engagement.

Its members included one appointed representative from each of the following areas:

  • CAL-Dr. William Hawk, Philosophy and Religion
  • COB-Dr.  Mert Tokman, Management
  • COE-LTC. Rodney L.  Lusher, ROTC Program
  • CISAT-Dr. Kenn Barron, Psychology
  • CSM-Dr. Mike Renfroe, Biology
  • CVPA-Mr. David Cottrell, School of Music
  • The Graduate School-Ms. Kathy Thompson, Associate Dean
  • Community Service Learning-Mr. Rich Harris, Director
  • Judicial Affair"s Dr. Josh Bacon, Director
  • OIP-Mr. Felix Wang, Director, Study Abroad
  • Outreach Programs-Dr. Jim Shaeffer, Associate Vice Provost
  • University Studies' Dr. Meg Mulrooney, Associate Dean
  • IIHHS' Dr. Emily Akerson, Associate Director
  • Libraries and Educational Technologies' Ms. Sarah Cheverton, Director, Center for Innovative Technology

Ad hoc members were Dr. Kay Knickrehm, Associate Dean, CAL/CPIA; Dr. Kathleen Ferriolo, Department of Political Science; Dr. Cara Meixner, Center for Faculty Innovation; and Dr. CJ Brodrick-Hartman, Director ISNW.


Contact: Questions may be directed to the Task Force's chair, Dr. Meg Mulrooney, Associate Dean, University Studies and Associate Professor of History at (540)568-8179 or mulroomm@jmu.edu.