Mission Statement

The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) is a university-based institute, designed to strengthen democratic values by encouraging students to actively participate as knowledgeable citizens in their campus, local, state, national and global communities.

The CCE is founded on the following premises:

• That students who are engaged in their civic life are better satisfied with their lives and social environment, including their university experience
• That those who learn about the satisfactions of civic engagement while young are likely to remain engaged thus strengthening the democratic fabric
• That there are specific activities and skills (specified below) that make for engaged citizens
• That these activities and skills can be encouraged and fostered through sustained deliberative and dialogic programs
• That students equipped with civic engagement experiences and skills can more effectively move from awareness to action

To that end, the CCE aims to

• Educate students about their own potential for civic engagement
• Educate students about current and historical issues related to democracy
• Promote the prerequisites of democracy through educational programs which stress the importance and complex meanings of its central ideals, including
  • freedom of civic speech and expression
  • respect for others (civic comportment)
  • appreciation for diverse persons and viewpoints
  • reflection on the ethics of public issues and the importance of taking an active role in their resolution (civic mindedness)
  • personal and group empowerment
  • social and economic equality
  • preservation of the environment and the need to assure the equitable distribution of its resources across nations and generations
• Assist students in forming and strengthening groups, networks and organizations with civic engagement agendas
• Assist students in defining, planning and carrying out social actions and activities that promote active civic engagement
• Assist students in developing social policy initiatives that are relevant to their needs as active citizens, including assisting them in campus life satisfaction improvement initiatives
• Encourage students to connect as citizens to the larger local community
• Foster intergenerational associations for civic ventures that can be shared across the age spectrum (including involvement of Hofstra alumni)
• Encourage voter education, registration and voting and active engagement in electoral politics such as lobbying and working on campaigns
• Assist students in developing leadership skills
• Assist students in finding experiential learning opportunities, including internships that promote democracy and civic engagement
• Assist students in developing research skills so that they can become citizens equipped with reliable information and be empowered to make sound judgments about the quality of the information they encounter