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Presentation by Cheryl Keen, Walden University and

Bonner Foundation, & Julie Hatcher, IUPUI

Civic-Minded Professional

A civic-minded professional is one who a) is skillfully trained through formal

education,b) with the ethical disposition as a

social trustee of knowledge, and c) the capacity to work with others in a

democratic wayd) to achieve public goods.

Civic-Minded Professional (CMP)

Factors of the Initial Research onthe CMP Scale

• Voluntary Action• Identity and Calling• Citizenship• Social Trustee of Knowledge• Consensus Building

(Hatcher, 2009)

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OTHER USES OF THE CMP SCALE: Nominees for national awards (i.e., Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service-Learning, Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement) scored higher on the three of the five CMP factors (i.e., Voluntary Action, Citizenship, Social Trustee) than non-nominees.

Faculty who taught service learning classes scored higher on the CMP scale than faculty who did not use this type of teaching strategy.

Faculty who engaged in collaborative research projects in the community scored higher on the CMP scale than faculty who did not use this type of research.Hatcher, J. A. (2008). The public role of professionals: developing and evaluating the civic-minded professional scale. Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy in the department of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University: Indianapolis, IN.

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Exploratory Factor Analysis on use of the Community Minded Professional Scale with the Bonner Alumni Survey

Factor % of variance Cumulative %

1 34.2 34.22 10.4 45.13 7.8 52.94 5.6 58.55 5.0 63.8

Cronbach’s Alpha reliability analysis for the scale = .913

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Key finding of Common Fire study

• The interviewees all reported a constructive, enlarging engagement with the other. They would describe some event or

experience of “otherness” that jolted their idea of who they were and where they stood in the world, challenging their previously held assumptions about who was “one of us” and who was not.– These encounters were enabled most often by travel, shared

work or study, community service, or military service, and were rich in meaningful dialogue.

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Theoretical support from Alexander Astin’s findings from CIRP-HERI study:

a basic developmental principle:

We grow in dialogue in diverse groups where someone’s more mature, adequate representation of “truth” or experiences speak to us and draw us towards that construction of knowing.

Bonner Alumni Study Hypotheses

In comparing Bonner Scholars…• H1: those who report higher rates of participation in

civic engagement and Bonner activities during college will score higher on the CMP scale than those who report lower rates.

• H2: those who report higher rates of participation in reflection activities will score higher on CMP scale than those who report lower rates.

• H3: those who report higher rates of participation in meaningful learning partnerships will score higher on CMP scale than those who report lower rates.

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Outreach to Bonner Scholar alumni

• Cooperation from 30 campuses– 2,141 Email Addresses– 1,163 Postcards– 3,304 TOTAL

• 1066 Participants (380 partial responses)

• Response Rate 32%

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Description of Participants• College graduation class (25% missing data)• 1991-1995 4%• 1996-2000 34%• 2001-2005 35%• 2006-2009 28%

• Bonners do 1640 hours of service over 4 years, attend trainings and meetings, are mentored, and offer leadership on campus.

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Most valued service engagements• Service at several sites for more than 4 weeks,

10 hours a week. average number of sites: 3

• summers of service most did 2 or 3

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Degrees completed and pursued N=586

Completed Now working on Aspire toMA/MS 46% 17% 26%

JD 6% 4% 9%

MD 5% 3% 4%

PhD 5% 11% 40%

Total 62% 35%

Bonner Scholars’ Careers• 33% Government/public sector

– 7% Federal– 15% State– 10% Local– 1% International

• 32% Non profit organization (tax exempt, charitable organization)• 25% For-profit/Private sector• 6% Self employed

– 5% In private sector– 1% In non-profit sector

• 0% Never been employed• 5% not currently employed

• Careers that have a significant relationship with the CMP: educators (noncollege), lawyers and clergy

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Participation in the Bonner Program had an influence on: N=786

“strong” and “very strong” on a 7 point scale

Commitment to volunteer service

70%

Commitment to others who are different from you

66%

Interest in current events 50%

Personal and family life 46%

Political attitudes and positions 38%

Academic study and major 30%

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Importance of college activities’ contribution to current career goals and professional identity (6 and 7

on 7 pt. scale)

Activity Percentage

Academic Coursework 67%

Long-term service activities (frequent or on-going)

58%

Work in the community 56%

Internship experience 52%

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FINDINGS: Multiple times involved with college service activities related to CMPDV= CMPModel 1 RSq .116Sig. .000

Beta sigtrainings you attended .170 .000

course papers or senior projects you significantly integrated with your service experiences

.138 .001

summers of service .10 .02

international service .077 .065

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Service-learning experiences (Frequency of or importance of) that were not related to the CMP

• Service-learning classes• service trips• COOL conferences, Bonner national meetings • regional gatherings attended• Bonner Alumni Network activities• Years in Bonner program

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TYPES OF REFLECTIONModel 1 Rsq= .332 Sig. .000 DV: CMP ScaleIV: helpfulness of means of reflection

Beta Signif.

Discussions with faculty or advisor .286 .000

Informal dialogue with others .246 .000

Creative project .169 .014

Private reflection n.s.Writing in a journal n.s.Course writing project to document learning from an experience

n.s.

Structured reflection activities in a class or organization or Bonner program

n.s.

Online tools such as an e-portfolio n.s.

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Importance or conversations & interactions with others that challenged and supported learning

RSq .251 Sig. 000DV = CMP

Conversations and Interactions

Beta Significance

people who were very different from me

.158 .003

students in classroom experiences

.112 .069

Bonners in informal settings

.105 .085

Reflection in faith based activity or organization

.078 .075

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spouse or partner community members during service experiencesfaculty in class settingsfaculty/staff in informal settingsfaculty/staff in role as advisor to student club, organization, or service experiencefamily membersfriendsmentor or advisorBonners in service experiencesBonners during meetings, trainings, and/or retreatsstudents in service experiencesothers during international experiencessupervisor(s) at work, service, or internship

Other reflection partners – no relationship to CMP

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Beta Sig

Mentoring others .268 .000

Activist groups .254 .000

Service/military experiences .208 .000

Friends .14 .019

Online communities -.138 .015

Value of experiences since college in shaping current goals and professional identity 

RSq=.413 Sig. .000 DV= CMP

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Graduate school Reading and independent studyStudy group/book groupSupportive colleagues at work Having a mentorCultural activitiesParents and familyLeadership development programsFaith communityMeditation, prayer, reflectionSpouse/partner

Other experiences since college that were not related to the CMP

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30 Participating Colleges

Middlesex County College.3%Lynchburg College.9Mars Hill College 5.9Maryville College4.4%Middlesex County College.3%Morehouse College 2%Oberlin College 7.8%Rhodes College 6.3%Spelman College 4.8%Stetson University 1.4%The College of New Jersey 1% University of Richmond 10.8%Warren Wilson College .9%Waynesburg University 3%West Virginia Wesleyan College 5.9%Wofford College 3.8%

Allegheny College 5%Berea College 2%Berry College 7%Carson-Newman College 4%Centre College 2.4%Concord College2.6%Davidson College5.9%Earlham College 5.7%Ferrum College 5%Guilford College 5.2%Lees-McRae College .3%Lynchburg College.9Mars Hill College 5.9Maryville College4.4%

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Alumni service findings

The survey of Bonner Scholars who graduated six years earlier in 1999 was compared with the Life After College study by HERI. 100% of Bonner Scholars were at least somewhat involved in community service activity.

67% of graduates from the same liberal arts colleges were still doing service,

Twice as many Scholars working in nonprofits

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Institutional implications• How can we encourage more informal dialogue with faculty

and more deeply engaging, informal dialogue across boundaries of perceived difference?

• Higher education needs to continue take advantage of co-curricular learning opportunities of significant length and intensity.

• Financial need does not have to be a barrier.

• How and where we engage with difference matters.• Etc….need more here!

Next Steps

• This study is based on a known/purposive sample of Bonner Scholars– need to identify comparable sample of college students who were NOT involved in intensive service program.

• Track, over time, the development of CMP• Age dependent?• Related to college experiences?

• Confirmatory Factor Analysis of CMP

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Contact info

• cheryl.keen@waldenu.edu• jhatcher@iupui.edu• Annual survey reports at www.bonner.org• Common Fire video/DVD - $25

cheryl.keen@waldenu.edu