The Michigan Community Scholars Program

Mission Statement*
The Michigan Community Scholars Program (MCSP) is a residential learning community emphasizing deep learning, engaged community, meaningful civic engagement/community service learning and intercultural understanding and dialogue. Students, faculty, community partners and staff think critically about issues of community, seek to model a just, diverse, and democratic community, and wish to make a difference throughout their lives as participants and leaders involved in local, national and global communities.

Goals

1. Deep Learning –
• Engagement with Ideas: Critical thinking; Intellectual exploration; Active learning; Joy of learning; Long term commitment to learning; Exchange of differing viewpoints.
• Ways of Knowing: Learning and teaching through traditional, experiential, discovery and other innovative means; Learning across disciplinary boundaries; Learning collaboratively; Learning in the classroom and outside the classroom.
• Transition to College: Successful academic and social transition from high school to college and throughout their years with MCSP; academic and social support services and mentoring; providing an orientation to the resources of the wider university.
• Academic Success: Each student getting the most of what he/she wants from a college education; GPA performance of students equal to or better than a comparable cohort of UM students.
• Learning about Community: Developing complex understandings about community and social issues in society; Learning about self, social identities, and a wide range of socio-cultural groups and histories.

2. Engaged Community –
• A Scholarly Community: Close faculty-student-community partner-staff interaction; Respecting each community member as both educator and learner; A focus on community members coming together to teach, study, learn, understand, and engage with ideas from different disciplinary perspectives and with people from different backgrounds.
• A Safe and Accepting Environment: Comprised of people from diverse social backgrounds and with diverse perspectives; Intercultural understanding, interaction and dialogue across groups. A place and set of people who enjoy being with one another.
• An Involved, Participatory Community: High levels of commitment, short term and long term, to building community and participating within the community.
• A Focus on the Individual and the Group: A community that cares for each individual yet fosters a sense of responsibility to community; exploration of personal and social identities of self and others.

3. Meaningful Civic Engagement /Community Service Learning –
• High Quality Service Learning: Providing service fitting the needs of the community; preparation of students to participate effectively in the community; participation in the community through long term and short term projects, including service learning, internships, social change efforts, political participation, volunteering, and fundraising.
• Reflection: Reflective learning about democratic processes, civic life, social problems and social justice, self, and society.
• Leadership Development: Preparing students to be active participants and leaders in civic life; training for students through courses and workshops; student leadership through peer facilitation of courses, peer advising and mentoring, peer control of student program planning and budget; leadership roles for faculty, community partners, and staff.
• Sustainable Partnerships: Meaningful, mutually beneficial, and long-term partnerships between university and community.
• Long Term Commitment: Develop long term commitment to civic engagement for the public good; broad dissemination of experience and insights from MCSP community.

4. Diverse Democracy, Intercultural Understanding and Dialogue-
• A Diverse Community: A commitment to maintaining a diverse community among students, faculty, community partners and staff; a commitment to working with diverse individuals and communities outside MCSP.
• Participation in Intergroup Dialogue: Deep intercultural engagement; Understanding and dialogue across groups; Broadening students’ social and intellectual “comfort zones” beyond their own social identity groups.
• Commitment to Strong Democracy: Developing a commitment to strengthening democratic practice and participating in public life and civic organizations locally and globally.
• Reflection on Social Justice: Linking notions of diversity with democracy; Reflection on issues of social justice and injustice, equality and inequality (including historic legacies of inequality).
• Model Good Practice: Developing a vision of a just, diverse democracy; Modeling diverse democratic community practices in the short term that can be replicated long term beyond college.

* This is a Working Document of the MCSP Mission and Goals. We view it as a living document, offering us an opportunity to educate and engage one another in discussions about the values of this statement, and to make changes to the document when the community deems appropriate.

The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex*, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity and Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.

*Includes discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression.

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