| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Common Commitments Homepage

Page history last edited by Ariane Hoy 10 years, 7 months ago

 

Introduction and History 

 

About ten years into the program in 2000, the Bonner Foundation and its partnering campus programs had successfully created and implemented the Bonner Scholar Program model, which rests on a four-year intensive commitment by participating students, who also receive a service-based scholarship.  In addition, the Bonner Leader Program, drawing upon the same frameworks but utilizing Work Study and AmeriCorps Education Award funding to offer other colleges and universities the opportunity to build a similar program, had begun at several institutions.  At this time, though, the program sought to more clearly articulate a set of values that describe its aspirations and work; what are the values that students who are part of the program should encounter and define for themselves during their participation (and after)?

 

The programs always sought to achieve the same goals—supporting student development, especially through service and community engagement; achieving community impact, through sustained and mutually beneficial campus-community partnerships; and building an infrastructure for campus civic engagement. As students, staff and faculty reflected on the core meaning and achievements of the programs, however, they began to articulate the need for a common language and set of values that they believed (and indeed could demonstrate, through the Student Impact Survey and other tools) are fostered by the program for all involved.  Hence, the process for creating the Common Commitments began, taking the form of focus groups and discussion sessions at various Bonner-sponsored gatherings.  These included the meetings of students at the Bonner Congress, for example in the fall of 2001 at Wofford College, as well as meetings of staff at the annual Directors and Coordinators meetings.  The input of faculty members and even college presidents was also sought.

 

At the end of this process, six key Common Commitments were forged, representing the collective beliefs about the types of values and personal commitments that students, in particular, but also others connected in the program encounter and explore.  The particular wording of the definitions, which intentionally aimed to be inclusive by many dimensions (including political beliefs), is less important than the spirit of these ideals.  Each Bonner Program weaves the exploration of the Common Commitments into their work in various ways—including through reflection activities, trainings, film viewings and discussion, coursework, and more.  

 

Over the past ten years, we have begun to collect and augment resources for campus programs related to the Common Commitments.  The pages above (click for each Common Commitment) capture some of that information, including:

 

  • Definitions and other key phrases 
  • Training and Curricular Materials
  • Key Related Bonner Partners
  • Publications
  • Assessment and Evaluation
  • Examples of Campus Practice

 

We invite members of the Bonner community (and beyond) to both utilize these ideas and add to them, sharing your own stories and resources.

 

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.