Skip to content Skip to navigation

Educating citizens: Preparing America's undergraduates for lives of moral and civic responsibility

Publication Authors: 
Anne Colby, Elizabeth Beaumont, Jason Stephens, Thomas Ehrlich
Publication Year: 
2003
Publication Journal: 
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Synopsis: Educating Citizens reports on how some American colleges and universities are preparing thoughtful, committed, and socially responsible graduates. Many institutions assert these ambitions, but too few act on them. The authors demonstrate the fundamental importance of moral and civic education, describe how the historical and contemporary landscapes of higher education have shaped it, and explain the educational and developmental goals and processes involved in educating citizens. They examine the challenges colleges and universities face when they dedicate themselves to this vital task and present concrete ways to overcome those challenges.