A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy’s Future

Commissioned by the US Department of Education, this major report responds to a national discourse that effectively limits the mission of higher education to workforce preparation and training, while marginalizing disciplines basic to democracy. The task force exhorts educators and public leaders to advance an educational vision that would make civic learning and democratic engagement an expected part of undergraduate education. The report documents the nation’s anemic civic health and includes recommendations focused on campus culture, general education, and civic inquiry.