DAVID MATHEWS CENTER FOR CIVIC LIFE 2009 Annual Report
Table of Contents
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The Mathews Center
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Alabama Issues Forums
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DMC Board of Directors and Officers
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Teachers’ Institute on NIF in the Classroom
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O’C Internship Program
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Faith-Based Communities
David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
The Mathews Center “To think of politics as a public activity changes the very meaning of politics. Politics becomes the art of making productive relationships among diverse people rather than just passing legislation or electing representatives.”—David Mathews, Politics for People
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he David Mathews Center for Civic Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt corporation established in 2005 as the Alabama Center for Civic Life. In 2008, the name was changed to the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, in honor of David Mathews, a native of Grove Hill; former president of the University of Alabama; former secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare; and
currently president and chief executive officer of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. The Mathews Center’s purpose is to foster infrastructure, habits and capacities for more effective civic engagement and innovative decision making. The Mathews Center is focused on how citizens create political will and sustain innovative community decisions.
SIGNATURE ASSUMPTIONS
Political problems are primarily problems of working relationships. l The biggest challenge to any community is the capacity of its citizens to make effective decisions together across the range of issues they face. l Civic life in a democracy means citizens must take responsibility for making hard choices and must develop infrastructure and practices that enable them to do so. l
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS l
Alabama Issues Forums (AIF)
Working with conveners and existing networks and organizations, such as the Southern Growth Policies Board and National Issues Forums Institute to conduct community forums and related research in the areas:
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Education
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Economic Development
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Public Health
Coaching Community Innovation (CCI) Workshops
Providing workshops to improve community capacities to make innovative decisions, secure commitments to act together and learn from experiences
Jean O’Connor-Snyder Community-Based Research Internship Program
Engaging college students in researching and conducting AIF deliberations and CCI Workshops
Annual state-wide meetings at American Village in Montevallo and other sites to report research, conduct learning experiences in civic practices and celebrate community innovations
Joint Learning Programs with American Village
Creating civic learning programs in deliberative democracy for students and their teachers who visit American Village annually David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The David Mathews Center Officers Sandy Gunter is treasurer of the Mathews Center. He is a partner in the law firm of Shields & Gunter, Attorneys. Previously, Gunter was a partner in the law firm of Stephens, Shields & Gunter, Attorneys. From 1981 to 1987, he was a partner in the law firm of Stephens & Gunter, Attorneys. Gunter served as assistant to the president of the University of Alabama (1977-1980) and was an administrative assistant to the secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1975-1977). He is the former president of the Family Counseling Service Board of Directors and the Alabama Boychoir, Inc. Dr. Robert McKenzie is president of the Mathews Center and a senior associate of the Kettering Foundation. McKenzie is also professor emeritus of New College. McKenzie served thirty years in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps as a reserve officer and is a retired colonel. He served as a resident faculty and as faculty, advisor and supervisor of prior learning in the External Degree Program in New College (1980-1997). He was executive assistant to the secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1975-1977). He was the director of research for the Center for Public Law and Service (1977-1982) and was an administrative assistant to the president of the University of Alabama (1969-1975). Ray Minor is chairman of the Mathews Center. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Issues Forums Institute. Minor was appointed vice president of advancement for United Methodist Homes of New Jersey, which provides quality and caring services to senior men and women in 10 Christian communities across the state of New Jersey. Minor served as president of the Alabama Center for Civic Life, vice president for institutional advancement at Wiley College, executive director of national and community service for the State of Alabama, Alabama area development director of The College Fund/UNCF and as development director at Miles College. Stan Murphy is vice-president of the Mathews Center. He is a partner at the law firm of Murphy & Murphy, LLC. Murphy also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama Law School, as well as a researcher for both the University of Alabama’s Office of Academic Affairs and the Kettering Foundation. Murphy was senior counsel in the Office of Counsel for the University of Alabama System, senior counsel for International and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Alabama and was the academic coordinator for the University of Alabama Cooper Cuba Initiative. He was also a special assistant to the secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1975-1977). 4
David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
s and Board of Directors Dr. William Muse is president of the National Issues Forums Institute in Dayton, Ohio. He formerly served as a Lombard Fellow with the Kettering Foundation. Muse has had a career in higher education spanning almost forty years. During his career, he has served as chief executive officer of three major universities: the University of Akron, Auburn University and East Carolina University. From 1970 to 1983, Muse served as the dean of the business school at three different universities, including Appalachian State University, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Texas A&M University. He was vice-chancellor for Academic Programs for the Texas A&M University System. Dr. Cathy Randall is chair of the Board of Pettus Randall Holdings, LLC. She also serves as chair of the Alabama Academy of Honor. Randall served as chair of the Board of Randall Publishing Company and the director of the University Honors Programs at the University of Alabama. She also served as the national president of Mortar Board, Inc., president of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame and director of Alabama’s Girls State. Randall has been a member of the Board of Directors of Mercedes Benz USI, the American Village, the Alabama Law Foundation, the Alabama Archives and History Foundation and the Tuscaloosa City Schools Education Foundation. Dr. Joffre T. Whisenton is currently serving as president of Joffre T. Whisenton and Associates, Inc. Whisenton was president of the Southern University System and associate executive director with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Whisenton also held a joint appointment as professor and chairman of the Division of Education and Psychology at Stillman College and as a program associate in the Office for Student Development at the University of Alabama. He served as special assistant for educational policy to the secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (1975-1977). Dr. David Wilson serves as the chancellor of both the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin-Extension. He is on the Board of Directors of MDC, Inc. and the University Continuing Education Association, and is a co-founder of the Alabama Black Belt Community Foundation. Wilson was vice-president for University Outreach at Auburn University. In addition, Wilson has been the associate provost at Rutgers University and was a program officer and director of the Office of Minority Programs at the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. He has won numerous fellowships, such as the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and the Kellogg Fellowship. David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
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O’C INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Community-Based Research Internship Program T he Mathews Center administers a community-based research internship program drawing students from the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Miles College and the University of Montevallo. Started in the 2008-2009 school year, the Jean O’Connor-Snyder Community-Based Research Internship Program provides learning experiences in which the interns research the use of deliberative practices to develop an on-going community capacity to address common concerns. Beginning in the 1970s, Jean O’Connor-Snyder was a cherished mentor to undergraduates both in school and in their subsequent careers. The Mathews Center internship program is an effort to extend her legacy and provide experiences similar to those of UA student interns in the 1970s who 6
David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
served under the direction of David Mathews, then president of the University. The Mathews Center views communities, not as groups with needs to be met by university-based experts, but as groups rich in capacity to address their community concerns. Students work with Alabama communities to develop infrastructure and habits that lead to more effective community decision making. The interns are an interdisciplinary group, representing majors in economics, finance, film-making, social work, political science, peace studies, journalism and foreign languages. Their internship research projects explore the potential for deliberative practices in the fields of education, economic development, public health, arts and humanities, community media and religious communities.
Emmanuel Amido is a senior at the University of Alabama majoring in global studies and independent film through New College. For his internship project, Amido is assessing the feasibility of deliberative forums as a means of resolving dilemmas in a culturally diverse community. As part of the research, he will be conducting forums with international students. Amido will also contribute his documentary film skills to various internship projects by documenting deliberations and forums for future reference. Amido, who is originally from Sudan, but now lives in Memphis, Tennessee, is involved in the international com-
munity at the University of Alabama. He served as a resident advisor in the primary student residence hall at the University. Amido is an active member of the Swahili Club and Navigators, and participates in intramural sports.
Lucy Bennett is a junior at the University of Alabama majoring in economics. Bennett is researching the potential for using the arts and humanities in deliberative politics and is working closely with the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Auburn University, PACERS, a non-profit association of rural Alabama communities and their schools, and others in the arts and humanities discipline to enhance deliberative practices. In addition to this, Bennett will be working with various arts-related projects to research the usefulness of art and community history documentation for more effective community decision making. Bennett, who is from Gadsden, Alabama, is a member of Kappa Delta, the Honors College, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma.
Lauree Blair is a sophomore at Miles College majoring in social work. Blair is working closely with Peggy Sparks, who coordinates the annual Teachers’ Institute. She is involved in a yearlong effort to promote National Issues Forums in the Classroom.
Blair, who is from Birmingham, Alabama, has been involved with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute since 2006.
John DuBois is a sophomore at the University of Alabama majoring in political science and economics. As an intern, DuBois is working with fellow intern Will Thomas to support the Southern Growth Policies Board in hosting forums around the state based on the SGPB issue map. DuBois is originally from Coatopa, Alabama. He also serves as a resident advisor in Ridgecrest South Residence Hall and is an ambassador for the College of Arts & Sciences.
Cristin Foster is a senior at the University of Montevallo majoring in history. Through her internship, she is working closely with public middle and high schools to develop a curriculum for teaching democratic practices. Additionally, Foster is researching how American Village experiences can be incorporated into such a curriculum. Foster is part of the University of Montevallo’s Habitat for Humanity campus charter. She is also involved with Campus Outreach, and is a member of the University of Montevallo Honors Program and the Golden Key honor society.
Linn Groft is a junior in New College at the University of Alabama majoring in sustainable international economic development. As an intern, she will be working with the College of Community Health Sciences, specifically collaborating with the Rural Medical Scholars. Through this, Groft is researching the potential for using deliberative practices in public health strategies. Groft is a member of the Blount Undergraduate Initiative and the Computer-Based Honors Program. She has researched the economic consequences of the proliferation of disease in developing countries. Groft is an Ethics and Social Responsibility scholar and plays a leadership role in both David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
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O’C INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Apwonjo and the Alabama International Relations Club.
Alonso Heudebert is a graduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham currently working on his Master’s in Public Health, with a concentration in international epidemiology. As an intern, he is researching the capacity for deliberation in the area of public health. Heudebert, who is from Birmingham, Alabama, has a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Alabama. Heudebert has been involved with Aprendo Contigo, an educational and recreational based program in Peru for children that are impacted by life-threatening illnesses.
Brittney Jones is a junior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham majoring in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry. Jones will be exploring the possibilities for deliberation in public health issues. Jones, who is from Montgomery, Alabama, is a member of the Global and Community Leadership Honors Program at UAB. Additionally, she is a tutor and mentor at a local elementary school in her community.
and philosophy. King is researching those throughout the country who have instituted programs using National Issues Forums in the Classroom. From this research, she will design a pilot program for implementation in a local Tuscaloosa school this fall. King, who is originally from Montgomery, Alabama, gained a passion for improving the quality of education after working with several local community organizations that dealt with improving education for children in lowerincome areas. King is an active member in the Blackburn Institute and is a resident advisor in Lakeside Residence Hall.
Anna Lloyd is a junior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham majoring in psychology. Lloyd is researching the use of deliberation as a strategy for addressing public health issues. Lloyd, who is from Fairhope, Alabama, is the service coordinator for the Global and Community Leadership Honors Program at UAB. Additionally, Lloyd is a USGA senator for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Ms. UAB 2008-2009.
Kendra Key is a senior political science major at the University of Alabama. As an intern, Key is researching the leadership tactics that facilitated a smooth integration of the University of Alabama. Additionally, Key is working closely with Emmanuel Amido in producing a documentary film on this topic. Key, who is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is a student chair at the Blackburn Institute, as well as a Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility scholar. Key was the 2009 recipient of the Truman Scholarship.
Sarah Massey is a sophomore at the University of Alabama double majoring in history and media studies. Massey’s focus is to explore the potential for engaging the media in the deliberative process, and she will be researching similar efforts by public policy institutes to augment deliberation through various forms of media. She performs a number of writing and editing duties for the Mathews Center. Massey, who is from Cincinnati, Ohio, serves as editor of Mosaic, the Honors College magazine. She is also an Honors College ambassador, and is on the committee of the College’s lecture series.
Angel King is a junior at the University of Alabama majoring in political science, with a double minor in Spanish
Jay Murphy is a graduate student at the University of Alabama currently working on attaining his M.A. in political
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David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
science. He is working with the Center in developing its technological needs. He will be researching the history of UA and the effects of student leadership during the time of Dr. David Mathews’ tenure as president. Murphy graduated from New College with a B.S. in digital media. During his last year of undergraduate studies, he developed an interest in the social sciences, specifically deliberative democratic practices and researching how an individual or a group can help a community gain a sense of self-responsibility and self-efficacy.
Will Thomas is a senior majoring in economics and finance, with a concentration in public policy and law. He is working with business leaders and academics to research the role of businesses in the economies and communities of the New South. Thomas, originally from Madison, Alabama, is active in organizations such as Apwonjo and Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity. He has served as a peer mentor to Freshman Forum, and was the 2009 recipient of the William P. Bloom Award.
David Mathews Center Staff Lane Busby McLelland is executive director of the Mathews Center. In this position, McLelland coordinates the various programs of the Mathews Center, as well as supervises the work of the Jean O’ConnorSnyder Community-based Research interns. McLelland holds a Master of Divinity, as well as a M.A. in ethics, and teaches at the University of Alabama in New College and the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility.
Lindsey Mullen is the community-based research program director of the Mathews Center. A recent graduate of the University of Alabama, she directs research and intern development for the Mathews Center’s Jean O’Connor-Snyder Community-Based Research Internship Program. Mullen holds a B.A. in social justice, with concentrations in African studies and documentary film from the University of Alabama.
Lydia Atkins is the associate director of community-based research of the Mathews Center. Her main responsibilities include developing research pathways for deliberative dialogue in rural Alabama communities. She also directs intern development for the Jean O’Connor-Snyder Community-Based Research Internship Program, as well as serves an administrative role in the Mathews Center office. Atkins, a recent graduate of the University of Alabama, holds a B.A. in sustainability in a global context.
Ellen Corbett is the events coordinator of the Mathews Center at the American Village. She spent 30 years serving in administration at the University of Montevallo, which included coordinating the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Office. Additionally, Corbett helped establish the Leadership Shelby County program, which serves community leaders throughout the county, and she was also coordinator of the program for 12 years. David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
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AIF PILOT COMMUNITIES
Alabama Issues Forums I n communities across Alabama, people were given the opportunity to attend a series of forums known as the Alabama Issues Forums (AIF), which gave them the framework to discuss difficult issues with one another. The eight pilot communities included Elba, Anniston, Collinsville, Chatom and Prattville (coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Auburn University), and three communities in Birmingham (coordinated by the Birmingham Issues Forums). From August 2008 to February 2009, three fo-
rums were held in each of the communities, with the focus being an issue within education, as framed by National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) issue books. The issue books that were used included “Preparing Today’s Kids for Tomorrow’s Jobs,” “Too Many Children Left Behind: How Can We Close the Achievement Gap?” and “What Is the 21st Century Mission for Our Public Schools?” The following photo spread reveals the atmosphere of the forums, as well as the response of the conveners and moderators, voiced at a June 23rd concluding meeting at American Village. n
“In Collinsville, the general sense that they did have was that there seemed to be a lot of hope. A lot of them said that they got the sense that we can work together.” - Emerald Greywoode, DMC intern
Chatom
Collinsville “Overwhelmingly, participants want more forums, and they got motivated ... There’s a lot of positive movement in all the communities.” -Jennifer Jones, forum moderator 10
David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
Prattville “And one of the questions that we constantly asked was ‘who’s not at the table, and how do we get them here?’ And because of that, we intentionally took that to the town of Autaugaville, so we could hear some voices of people who are often not at the table. So I think what we heard was the voice of individuals who felt like they had concerns the whole time, and they had not been addressed.” -Yvonne Thomas, Prattville convener
Anniston “I’m just fascinated with the whole process ... I think it’s invaluable for anyone to have the skill to be able to stand in front of the community and literally moderate the process of discussing critical issues.” -Rod Scott, AL House Rep., District 55
Elba David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
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TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE
Teachers’ Institute on NIF in the Classroom
In the May 24, 2009 issue of The Birmingham News, David Mathews, president and CEO of the Kettering Foundation, and Bill Muse, president of the National Issues Forums Institute wrote a commentary on civic education in schools, in light of the upcoming Teachers’ Institute. The following is their commentary.
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e aren’t doing a very good job preparing young people to take on the responsibilities of citizenship. A recent report shows a majority of Americans failed a national test of civic literacy. And in 2002, a group of scholars, as well as the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement and the Carnegie Corp. of
New York, voiced a clarion call for the need to revive a richer civic education in our schools. Alabama educators also have had concerns about the civic education of our students. Birmingham educator Peggy Sparks has assembled an impressive coalition to counter this alarming trend. It includes
“The teachers at the Teachers’ Institute learned the true value of serving as a moderator and understanding the dynamics of deliberation.” - Peggy F. Sparks 12
David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
the American Village, the state Department of Education, the state Center for Civic Life, the city schools’ social studies department, the local council of PTA, Miles College, the Ministerial Brotherhood and Honda of Alabama -- as well as neighborhood associations and public libraries. This month, the American Village is the site of the nation’s first institute to prepare teachers to introduce students to the most basic of all democratic skills -- making sound decisions with other citizens to deal with critical issues. These issues range from those that affect students directly, such as curbing juvenile violence, to those that affect all citizens, such as protecting Americans’ health. Deliberating to make choices is a skill that is not only used at election time and in juries but also is a problem-solving skill students can use in everyday democracy. Having the ability to work through difficult problems will come in handy when they are adults living in communities where citizens must join forces. Learning to be a citizen involves more than knowing how a bill is passed or the role of the various branches of government. Young people need to learn how they can be effective political actors themselves. Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. A veteran of the American Revolution was asked how the experience had affected him. He said it made him realize he was part of the sovereignty of his country. His citizenship wasn’t just a word; he had lived it. Birmingham can be justly proud of leading the way to making citizenship a part of the life of every student. For years, young people have had opportunities to develop deliberative skills in its classrooms, youth clubs and churches. These projects have used guides to public deliberation prepared by the Kettering Foundation for the National Issues Forums Institute. NIFI works with local organizations around the country to conduct deliberative forums in which citizens can learn about the difficult issues facing their community and the nation, and express their views about the most appropriate action to take. Students in our schools are a critical audience for these forums, as their teachers use deliberation to help them gain the skills they need to be effec-
“I see so many times, [the forum] always gets to be organic and things begin to move back and forth, and the teacher stands up there and is transformed because he says ‘I never knew this person had an idea about anything. [He] might have turned in a perfect paper every time, but he never said anything to me. He never had an idea to voice.’ And that’s the basis of the process that I think is valuable from having watched so many of the youth forums that we’ve been doing in Birmingham.” -Leon Evans, Birmingham Issues Forums Leadership Team Member
tive citizens. We are heartened by this new initiative in Birmingham. It holds much promise for energizing the national conversa-
tion on educating young people to become active citizens. n David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
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FAITH-BASED DELIBERATIONS
Faith-Based Communities Deliberate The Mathews Center has worked over the past year with several faith-based communities in exploring the capacity for deliberation within a faith community. As a result of these collaborations, the Mathews Center has learned that the desire for using the deliberative process within faith-based communities is evident.
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n the spring of 2009, the Mathews Center conducted several network exploration meetings at American Village in Montevallo, Alabama. On April 16, 2009, the Mathews Center conducted a network exploration meeting that looked into the potential for working with faith-based organizations. Led by Lindsey Mullen, an intern with the Jean O’Connor-Snyder Community-Based Research Program at the time, and now a staff member, and attended by representatives from various religious organizations, the meeting sought to address the concerns of faith-based communities dealing with controversial social issues. This effort grew out of the Mathews Center’s work with the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church (NAC-UMC) and its discussions regarding the Iraq War. The NAC-UMC was encountering difficulty in its annual meeting dealing with a resolution concerning U.S. policy in Iraq. Under the weight of Robert’s Rules of Order and parliamentary procedure, portions of the Annual Conference meeting were breaking down in confusion and increasingly polarized positions. NAC-UMC sought the Mathews Center’s help in framing the issue for thoughtful, all-sides discussions in advance of their next annual meeting. As a result of this collaboration with NAC-UMC, the Mathews Center was interested in the potential for faith based organizations, which have regular study groups, to become users of tools for deliberative decision making. Such organizations face a wide variety of important issues ranging from church business all the way to local, state and national policy decisions. 14
David Mathews Center Annual Report 2009
At the meeting, Mullen led a forum using the National Issues Forums Institute issue book “Life and Death Decisions: Who Decides?,” which is useful with groups who have never engaged in deliberative decision making. Additionally, the content is quite applicable to faith-based groups. Not only do some denominations have policy positions on endof-life choices, many clergy become involved in the issue when counseling families. Following the forum, Chuck Vedane and Anne Wheeler, lay representatives of the NAC-UMC, shared with the group the work the NAC-UMC had already done with the Mathews Center to reframe their discussions about the Iraq War. In its continued work with the NAC-UMC, the Mathews Center has provided this group with previous research and framing concepts on the topic of constitutional change in Alabama. In addition to Vedane and Wheeler, the other attendees expressed similar interest in methods for naming and framing controversial social issues. The process of naming and framing was of particular interest to many of the participants to help them confront the wide range of issues each organization is facing. A general discussion of possible interest in deliberative work in the participants’ churches and denominations followed. All the participants of the meeting recognized potential applications in their faith-based communities. Whether it be in approaching specific church business decisions or if the tools are to be used in a broader scope, such as helping people work through deeply-rooted disagreements over time, the desire to use the deliberative process within faith-based communities is evident. n
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DAVID MATHEWS CENTER FOR CIVIC LIFE P.O. Box 11018 Tuscaloosa, AL 35486 www.mathewscenter.org © 2009 The Mathews Center for Civic Life