Alma College
Presidential Statement on Civic Engagement - Saundra Tracy, President of Alma College
Alma College has always had a commitment to community service but in recent years has grounded that commitment within the larger concepts of engaged learning and the exploration of vocation. By engaged learning, we mean that all of our students must be active initiators of their own learning in the classroom and apply that learning to real life concerns of communities. Consequently, numerous courses across the breadth of the curriculum offer students opportunities to partner with persons outside of the college to ensure the sustainability of communities. These partnerships range from community action groups that acquire federal environmental clean-up funds to communications campaigns on local issues, oral histories of senior citizens in our area, and the start-up and volunteer support for a full-day Headstart Program within the community. Our students engage in this service with faculty and staff who also model service as a lifelong commitment and teach the importance of careful use of all community resources, be they human, environmental, fiscal or other; for the health and long-term viability of communities.
The second major impetus to community service at Alma College is our mission that all students will explore the concept of vocation within their Alma Experience. The overall goal of this exploration is to find meaning or a sense of calling in their lives in conjunction with decisions they will make regarding majors, minors and career direction. Community service is both part of this exploration of purpose as well as a response to our firm belief that "with opportunity comes obligation."