FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 10, 2009
Contact: Gretchen Cook (202) 478-4665

AASCU LAUNCHES NATIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA PROJECT

WASHINGTON, DC. - The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), in partnership with the Center for the Study of Citizenship at Wayne State University, has launched an innovative project that will research the use of social media tools for civic engagement. This new project, called “eCitizenship: New Tools, New Strategies, New Spaces,” is the seventh initiative of the American Democracy Project (ADP). Thirty-four colleges and universities have been invited to participate in this national project to study social networking and research new ways for institutions to harness the technology in preparing students to be active and engaged members of society.

"The eCitizenship initiative will provide AASCU members with the opportunity to study current methodology and to design innovative ways to use emerging technology as a means to engage and inform this generation of technology-literate citizens," said AASCU President Muriel Howard.    The three-year eCitizenship project officially begins in November with the founding of an institute hosted by the Center for the Study of Citizenship at Wayne State University. The institute will provide a forum for selected eCitizenship campuses to collaborate on studies of the transformative relationship between social networking and civic engagement to determine effective methods for preparing students. The Center for the Study of Citizenship promotes interdisciplinary research and intellectual exchange about citizenship within a global community of scholars, students, political, community and business leaders, and the general public.

"eCitizenship is a rethinking of traditional models of citizenship,” said George Mehaffy, AASCU Vice President. “Robert Putnam [author, Bowling Alone] often bemoans the loss of the front porch. What we're finding is that the front porch is increasingly online and more dynamic than ever before. This is why it is so important to investigate ways to adapt new technologies to become an online town hall, a voter education tool, a platform for community organizing, and a host of other new citizenship tools."

Founded in 2003, the American Democracy Project is a multi-campus initiative focused on higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens and producing graduates who are committed to being actively involved in their communities.

The following AASCU members have been selected to participate in the eCitizenship initiative.

• Alfred State College
• Cameron University
• Clayton State University
• Columbus State University
• Emporia State University
• Fayetteville State University
• Fort Hays State University
• Indiana State University
• Indiana University, Purdue University Indianapolis IUPUI
• Kennesaw State University
• Metropolitan State University Middle
• Tennessee State University
• Missouri State University
• Nicholls State University
• North Carolina Central University
• Northern Kentucky University
• Ramapo College of New Jersey
• Rhode Island College
• Sam Houston State University
• Southern Polytechnic State University
• State University of New York College at Brockport
• Stephen F. Austin State University
• The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
• Towson University
• Troy University
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• University of Michigan-Flint
• University of Nebraska at Omaha
• University of Northern Colorado
• University of Wisconsin La-Crosse
• University of Wisconsin-Stout
• Weber State University
• Western Kentucky University
• William Paterson University

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AASCU is the leadership association of 430 public colleges and universities Delivering America’s Promise through their common commitments to access, affordability and educational opportunity. Enrolling more than 3 million students, these institutions fulfill the expectations of a public university by working for the public good through education, stewardship and engagement, thereby improving the lives of people in their community, their region and their state.