We, in America, take pride in calling ourselves the greatest democracy in the world. And yet, barely half of us bother to go the polls on election day even in presidential years. For local elections, we are fortunate if one in ten eligible voters turns out. Few Americans have even more than a superficial understanding of the great issues confronting our country and the world. Popular frustration with our inability to influence the direction of the government, which acts in our name, grows daily.

Only ten percent of Americans know the name of the person who represents them in Congress, and fewer still know the name of their state senator, delegate, or council member. Only one percent can recall how their elected representatives voted on even one measure. How can we hold our leaders accountable under such circumstance?

Also, right now, medical care, and the environment weigh heavily on the discussions in our communities today.  It is important for our students to be comfortable with the vocabulary, the science, the business, and the political implications of such discussions.

Through college and classroom activities, students will be able to improve their communication, critical thinking, social understanding, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning skills (General Education Goals). In addition, students will improve active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge, and student‐faculty interaction (CCSSE benchmarks).

As an institution of higher learning, we must assure that those who study in our classrooms acquire a basic understanding of the world in which they live and the important place they occupy within it. If our graduates leave us without an awareness of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship we have failed in a fundamental part of our mission.

'Citizenship Across the Curriculum' could address this need in a number of ways:

* On each campus, we could establish a regular series of speakers who would address the major political, social, and economic issue of our time. Our location near an important center of national and global politics offers us access to many who possess expertise on the widest range of topics.

* Our courses that teach about our political environment‐‐political science, history, sociology, philosophy, economics‐‐could stress an ever‐changing list of issues of current importance. Other courses could incorporate knowledge of political, social, and economic issues by integrating discussions and problem solving related to current topics

* We live in an area rich with possibilities for internships in political offices, NGOs, international organizations.  We could place students in positions to learn and to serve.

* There is an election in Virginia every November. Candidate and issues forums could be organized to inform our students, faculty, and staff of candidate qualifications and positions.

* We should enhance the role and visibility of student government and student involvement in the College Forum.

* Our cable television channel could run a series explaining the content of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and the ideals upon which they are based.

* Constitution Day on September 17th of each year could be elevated to an important teaching opportunity.

* Bulletin boards on campus could present the arguments for and against current issues and have students vote on them on our website.

We could administer the US Citizenship Test to students in various stages of their studies with us.  We can test our students' basic knowledge of the political system, its issues and its decision‐makers when they enroll, teach them about these matters while they are here, and test them again when the graduate.

College‐wide coordination of efforts will be necessary.