The director of the new Rutgers Democracy Lab at Rutgers University–New Brunswick’s Eagleton Institute of Politics said on Apr. 14 that universities should support students’ “civic mobility” during a time of political polarization.
Nicholas Longo, who began as the center’s inaugural director last month, said the lab aims to help higher education respond to national divisions by focusing on dialogue, civic studies, and engagement. He said some universities might be tempted to avoid work related to democracy because it could become partisan but argued that such efforts are central to their missions. “Universities might want to…stay away from this work around democracy that’s a little bit too political, and it could turn partisan. But I think…this is built into every single university’s mission. Every mission has something about educating the next generation,” Longo told Times Higher Education.
Longo explained that Rutgers seeks to serve as a model for large-scale civic engagement across its three campuses with approximately 70,000 undergraduate students. He described how the institute promotes skills necessary for graduates in various fields—such as science, law, and social services—to become “civic professionals.” “I actually think there’s bipartisan agreement that democracy is in crisis. But I think that it’s our job…to make sure that this doesn’t become a bipartisan issue. We should all be in favour of educating for democracy,” he said.
The Democracy Lab will build community through research and analysis on citizenship issues and civil discourse while launching initiatives like a Think and Do Tank pairing students with faculty on complex problems, expanding Scarlet Service public service internships, and creating a Social Media and Democracy Research Hub. Longo also noted many young people lack positive experiences with democracy; he hopes the institute will provide them opportunities for dialogue and learning: “They’re going to feel like this is a place where I can have a voice…When they become alumni, they’re going to [be] the civic professionals we hope to see in society.”
Faculty from both STEM fields and humanities will be encouraged to integrate civic engagement into coursework at Rutgers University—a university which includes the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy among its schools according to its official website. The Bloustein School has been recognized nationally for programs such as graduate urban planning (ranked third) and undergraduate public health (ranked fourth), maintains research centers advancing social impact across several policy areas including community development and health according to its official website, operates achievement awards programs dating back decades according to its official website, focuses on fostering just, inclusive communities locally through globally according to its official website, and appointed Stuart Shapiro dean in 2023 according to its official website.
Looking ahead, Longo said universities can do more than promote social mobility—they can also create pathways for “civic mobility” by offering opportunities for student engagement regardless of background: “If you come from a civic desert…our universities can be these sites of civic opportunity.”