Civic leadership competencies are important. Our hope is that students who participate in Haas Center programs are capable of demonstrating these competencies before they leave Stanford. The following civic leadership competencies were developed over the course of several staff planning processes between 2009 and 2012.

Knowledge of

  • the principles of ethical and effective service: reciprocity through partnership, humility, respect for diversity, commitment, ongoing communication and clear expectations, preparation, context, participatory pedagogy, and safety
  • the impact of power and privilege in the context of social justice work
  • the range of public service pathways by which one can contribute to the common good
  • the groups, networks, and systems that address or affect social issues
  • the root causes, history, and interconnectedness of various social issues affecting local, regional, and global communities

Skills

  • critical, integrative, and reflective thinking
  • effective communication through active listening and constructive dialogue
  • developing creative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative solutions regarding social issues

 Values and Self-Awareness

  • awareness and evaluation of one’s own values, assumptions, and motivations
  • recognition of one’s identity as socially and historically situated
  • sense of responsibility and practice of reflection about one’s actions

Community and Cultural Awareness

  • understanding of the local, regional, and global contexts in which social issues are embedded
  • respect and appreciation for diverse communities and cultures, their interconnectedness, and their accumulated wisdom
  • going beyond one’s comfort zone and the boundaries that traditionally separate communities

Public Action

  • participation in one or more public service pathways in ways that embody ethical and effective service principles
  • sustained commitment to at least one social issue
  • creation of knowledge and practices that positively impact society

 These draft civic leadership competencies described above are derived from several sources. We adopted large portions of the framework and recommendations of the AAC&U Civic Engagement Working Group as outlined by Caryn McTighe Musil in Civic Engagement in Higher Education (2009). These competencies are also informed by our own experience, input and feedback from Haas Center staff, the work of Colby, Ehrlich, Beaumont, and Stephens (2003), and the Essential Learning Outcomes developed as part of AAC&U’s LEAP initiative. We also reviewed several recent studies designed to validate methods of understanding constructs of personal and social responsibility, including the Civic Attitudes and Skills Questionnaire developed by Moely, Mercer, Ilustre, Miron, and McFarland (2002) and the Higher Education Service Learning Survey developed by Furco, Diaz-Gallegos, and Yamada (1999).

The competencies are further informed by the work of colleagues around the country. Noteworthy examples include Alverno College (within its Citizenship competency), Indiana University’s Political and Civic Engagement Program (PACE), the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (within its Civic Honors program), CSU-Monterey Bay, and the University of Denver Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (Student Learning Outcomes).

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