First course designed for Cyclone Civics launches next month

The first new course in the Center for Cyclone Civics launches March 23. LAS 1780X, "American Civics," is an experimental eight-week, three-credit course focused on U.S. government structures, democratic principles, history and civil liberties. Philosophy and religious studies professor Cullen Padgett-Walsh will teach the course.

"If the spring is successful, the course would continue to be offered through the center. The goal is to eventually have enough offerings to create a civics minor," said center co-director and professor of political science Karen Kedrowski. "Since we weren't able to have 1776 as a course number, we chose 1780 -- when the American Revolution was still happening."

Last spring, in response to proposed legislation that would have required a course on American history and civil government for graduation from any of the three regent universities, Kedrowski organized materials into themes, which became significant pieces in the new course. The course fulfills a general education requirement and could be an option for students looking to add credits at the midterm. Additional civics courses mostly will come from existing offerings from across campus, Kedrowski said.

"We have had a large number of faculty approach us who want to be part of civics here," she said. "I think we would probably tap into existing courses in history, religious studies, English and more that all have unique ways they want to look at civics."

Faculty are asked to help spread the word about the new course in their classrooms and encourage students in any discipline to consider enrolling.

Course content

Padgett-Walsh has a strong knowledge in the foundational documents of the United States, for example, Federalist Papers, the Constitution and Supreme Court cases.

"There will be plenty of discussion involved, with students helping determine which questions are most interesting to them," he said. "I really want to work through the debates because the Constitution is a compromise between different visions of our government."

Padgett-Walsh said students will examine works by philosophers like Aristotle and Cicero who influenced the drafters of the Constitution and ideas within it such as pursuing happiness. Students also will examine the founders' thoughts on freedom and equality. Students will have a stronger understanding of the Constitution and its founding principles and how debates about its ideas have shaped U.S. history. They'll be better prepared to engage with ideas that differ from their own, Padgett-Walsh said.

America at 250

Center co-director and teaching professor of political science Kelly Shaw said the timing of the course works well during the yearlong celebration, America at 250, observing the country's 250th anniversary.

"[The course] can help improve students' information literacy with strong foundational knowledge," he said. "Studies have shown a steady decline of student knowledge of how America's government is designed to work.

"The course allows us to ask ourselves, 'how are we doing?' in terms of the ideas and protections that are in a lot of these documents. We hope students leave the course with an appreciation of our founding and an understanding of our institutions and how they are supposed to work," Shaw said.

Center home and spring events

Kedrowski said space on the fifth floor of Ross Hall is being remodeled this spring for an office for the Center for Cyclone Civics. Events in the center's celebration of America at 250 will continue through the fall. Upcoming events are:

• Women in the American Founding (March 3): Kedrowski's presentation will tell the stories of some of the women who played crucial roles in politics, economics and culture during the founding of the nation.
• Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools that Built the Civil Rights Movement (March 4): Journalist and author Elaine Weiss will share the stories of four social justice advocates whose audacious plan to secure voting rights for Black Americans laid the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement.
• Donuts and the Declaration (March 25): Three versions of the document -- the original (1776), Declaration of Sentiments (1848) and the Black Declaration of Independence (1970) -- will be read.