Agent of Democracy - Society for College and University Planning

Agent of Democracy
conversations. A series of informal conversations emerged. These
conversations were organic, but connected to the formal conversations
in overt and subtle ways. New participants, including more
students and faculty, were invited to join. These conversations became
places to test ideas, refine concepts, and find new participants.
The end product was an on-campus community of students, faculty,
and administrators thinking about, defining, and developing new
ways to deepen civic learning.
Brown: Was there anything about Colgate’s culture that made
it resistant?
Weinberg: Absolutely. Most of the resistance was generational.
This generation of students and parents see entitlements, not responsibilities.
They think about college as purchasing a set of services
for my child to make them happy and professionally successful.
Of course, we are moving in a different direction.
As I said earlier, this generation has great values, but they
lack the skills to act on those values. Who would be surprised
given the ways families and communities organize childhood?
Everything has become structured and professionalized—which
is the surest way to kill creativity and innovation and teamwork
—which are the hallmarks of public work. We have a generation
that doesn’t like confrontation or conflict. They either avoid conflict
or hold firm to polarized views, much like we see on talk radio.
They also have a hard time holding each other accountable. They
work better when other people organize them and set expectations.
This generation has too many umbrella parents who are extending
adolescence far into adulthood while also narrowing how young
people come to define the purpose of education and the value of
civic life.
Brown: Given their professional aspirations (and their parents
for them) and the high cost of a private university, why would
students be interested in developing habits of citizenship in their
residence halls and other venues?
Weinberg: In the abstract, it is easy. People are wiser and
care much more than we give them credit for. There is a great
cynicism about Americans that I don’t understand. People care
108