Southwest Missouri State University was granted a statewide mission in public affairs by Missouri s General Assembly in 1995. In support of this change and in response to the designation, SMSU developed curricular and co-curricular structures which promote character education and university-community engagement. Their value is reflected in process and outcome indices.

In Campus Compact s recommended assessment of civic responsibility, the category of “”curriculum”" organizes one set of features through which institutions might judge themselves. Curricular changes inspired by SMSU s public affairs mission were guided by the Faculty Senate and include changes in both mandatory and optional offerings.

A number of components of the course “”Introduction to University Life”" promote public affairs: The First Year Student Convocation speech an address with a public affairs theme is processed through classroom discussions and written assignments. Large group presentations cover fundamental and contemporaneous value issues, diversity, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Students are encouraged to vote and guided in the registration process. This course is required of incoming students who have yet to complete general education.

Capstone courses offered under the title “”Public Affairs for the 21st Century”" offer an integrative and interdisciplinary experience which addresses public affairs issues and choices of broad importance from the perspectives and interaction of multiple fields. Titles in the first offerings include “”Corporate Responsibility: The Role of Business as a Corporate Citizen,”" “”Public Opinion, Propaganda, and the Mass Media,”" “”Exploring Community Well-Being Through Performance,”" and “”Sustaining the Earth: An Integrative Perspective.”" A capstone course is required of students once they have reached 60 semester hours.

“”Citizenship and Service Learning”" options append an additional hour of credit in selected courses in exchange for the learning achieved by completing and reflecting upon forty hours of service over a semester. Students in computer science have worked with elementary students and teachers in setting up their computer facilities. Students in mathematics have tutored challenged teens. And students in fashion design have developed dignified clothing for Alzheimer patients.

SMSU s “”Introduction to University Life”" course, its “”Public Affairs for the 21st Century”" courses and its “”Citizenship and Service Learning”" program were each recognized in Templeton s Colleges That Encourage Character Development.

The public affairs mission has also inspired the development of new courses (e.g., “”Chemistry for the Citizen”"), programs (e.g., the “”Environmental Sciences and Policy”" minor), and cocurricular entities. Students find public affairs readily available and well supported at SMSU.

Public affairs at SMSU is so integrated into the whole university enterprise that it shares the highest levels of planning and reporting with academics, administrative services, student affairs, university advancement and finance.

Contact person: Dr. Debra McDowell, Director, Citizenship and Service Learning
CASL web site: http://www.smsu.edu/casl/
SMSU Public Affairs home: http://publicaffairs.smsu.edu/