Civic Engagement in Extraordinary Times
This year’s theme, Civic Engagement in Extraordinary Times, examines one of Illinois State University’s core values in an era of unprecedented pressure on our social, political, and educational lives. What roles should institutions of higher education play in their communities? How are we as an institution encouraging students to become informed, engaged, and responsible members of a community? And how have recent social and political events shaped our views of civic engagement and how to incorporate it into Illinois State University’s overall mission?
Reflecting this, the Symposium will be offered entirely online as a series of plenary and concurrent sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of civic and community engagement. A group of nationally recognized speakers will lead discussions on a wide range of topics, from high impact practices in teaching and learning, to promoting civic engagement across the disciplines, to fostering meaningful dialogues about social justice and other issues.
Keynote Presenters
Illinois State is excited to bring three nationally recognized keynote presenters to the 2021 Symposium. They will help frame this year’s theme in the morning plenary session, which will be expanded upon in concurrent sessions later in the day.
Elizabeth Bennion
Elizabeth Bennion, Ph.D., is a professor of political science at Indiana University South Bend, where she teaches courses in American politics. Her research includes large-scale voter registration and mobilization field experiments in which randomized assignments are used to test the effectiveness of different mobilization techniques.
A nationally recognized expert on civic education and political engagement, Bennion has won numerous local, state and national awards for her teaching and service and has published widely in academic books, journals and professional newsletters. She teaches American politics, including political controversies, campaigns and elections, and race/gender politics.
Marshall Welch
Marshall Welch, Ph.D., served as the Assistant Vice Provost for Engagement at Saint Mary’s College of California. Prior to this role, he was the Director of the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA) overseeing the service-learning and community engagement program at Saint Mary’s College. Before coming to Saint Mary’s College in 2007, he was the Director of the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center at the University of Utah and a faculty member in the College of Education.
Welch has taught numerous service-learning courses and has several publications, presentations, and workshops on service-learning, civic engagement, and spiritual development in education. His structural rubrics for conceptualizing and implementing service-learning (O.P.E.R.A.) and reflection, such as the ABCs of reflection, have garnered national and international attention.
Timothy K. Eatman
Timothy K. Eatman, Ph.D., an educational sociologist and publicly engaged scholar, serves as the inaugural dean of the Honors Living Learning Community (HLLC) and Associate Professor in the department of Urban Education at Rutgers University - Newark. Prior to this his primary network of operation and leadership for over a decade was with Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life (IA) serving as Director of Research (2004 – 2012) and Faculty Co-Director (2012 to 2017).
Eatman’s national association leadership continues as one of three national co-chairs of the Urban Research Action Network (URBAN) and as board vice chair (chair elect) of the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) which awarded him the 2010 Early Career Research Award. A widely sought-after speaker, workshop facilitator, and collaborator who has earned local, national and international recognition for his leadership in advancing understandings about the multi-faceted impact of publicly engaged scholarship in the university of the 21st century.
About the Symposium
The 2021 University-Wide Teaching & Learning Symposium is organized by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology in partnership this year with the Center for Civic Engagement.
Learn more about this partnership and how to incorporate civic engagement into your teaching in this recent episode of CTLT's podcast, Let's Talk Teaching.