Dear AU Community,

The 2024-2025 academic year is well underway – it’s hard to believe fall break is less than two weeks away – and we’ve been hard at work developing the Civic Life initiative. Thank you to the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who have shared their passion, expertise, and talent to help build this critical effort.  

Today, we’re announcing the Student Civic Fellows program, a key pillar of the Civic Life initiative. Rooted in the ethos of inquiry and a commitment to free expression and civil discourse, the program gives AU students the opportunity to help build the Civic Life here on campus and beyond. 

Through the Student Civic Fellows program, students will gain the skills and knowledge to navigate conversations in a world of deep pluralism and engage in civic life in a richer way. 

Civic Fellows will receive leadership training, work closely with faculty mentors and university leadership, serve as ambassadors for the Civic Life initiative, and host events that create space for critical conversations on complex issues. Undergraduate, graduate, and graduate online students are all invited to apply.  

In addition, Civic Fellows will participate in a leadership course focused on facilitating tough conversations, to be held over two weekends – Saturday, November 2 (9 am to 12 pm), Sunday, November 3 (1 pm to 4 pm), Saturday, November 9 (9 am to 12 pm), and Sunday, November 10 (1pm to 4 pm).  

The deadline to apply to be a Civic Fellow is Friday, October 11. Find the application for the program here. 

After fall break, we’ll officially kick off the Civic Life initiative – with food, games, and, of course, dialogues featuring experts from across the AU community. Save the date for October 21 – more details to come soon.  

As Election Day approaches, and divisions continue to grow across our nation and our world, the Civic Life initiative aims to help our community develop the skills necessary to come together across differences and sustain a healthy, pluralistic democracy. We believe that AU can and must be a leader in civic engagement and civic education and a model of how to build a community in which diverse people live, learn, and work together in peace. 

We hope you will join in these opportunities to learn about civic engagement, connect with fellow AU Eagles, and hear from experts about how we all play a critical role in a civic society based on dialogue, inquiry, and respect. Check The Civic Life website for regular updates and future events. 

Sincerely,

Jonathan R. Alger
President

Vicky M. Wilkins
Activing Provost and Chieft Academic Officer

Thomas W. Merrill
Chair, The Civic Life Steering Committe