The Program in Civic Leadership is an integral part of the Center for the Study of Democratic Governance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This program has an academic component, a practicum component, and a capstone experience (i.e., a two-semester Practicum in Civic Leadership sequence).

The academic component of the program is administered by the Department of Political Science. The joint Civic Leadership/Juris Doctorate program is run in conjunction with the College of Law. Leadership Fellows who have taken the LSAT by the Fall semester of their junior year are eligible for early admission in the Law School; the joint program will take the same amount of time as completing the regular law curricula.

The Civic Leadership Program begins in the third year of undergraduate study and culminates in a Master of Arts degree in Political Science after one year of graduate work. The practicum component is run by the Department, but in conjunction with the Center for the Study of Democratic Governance and the program"s Senior Fellows.

The program director runs the Practicum in Civic Leadership seminars. The Civic Leadership program is open to all UIUC undergraduates; they are eligible to apply for admission in the first semester of their junior year. Students applying for the program will be advised to complete a set of preparatory courses. Each year an admissions committee selects 15-20 highly qualified UIUC students. They are known as Civic Leadership Fellows. Students are selected on a competitive basis but, since a diverse group is essential to the achievement of the educational objectives sought here, particular attention is paid to the overall composition of each entering class.

Once the Civic Leadership Fellows have been selected, they will follow a structured program of study. The academic component of this program is designed to provide them with: 1) a broad perspective on the problems and challenges facing American society in the twenty-first century, 2) a better understanding of democratic institutions and processes, and 3) the analytic tools, communication skills and ethical bearings needed to assume a leadership role in civic affairs. During the second semester of their junior year and the first semester of their senior year, the Leadership Fellows enroll in a set of required courses and select from a set of optional courses. Most of the required courses were designed for this program, are reserved for Fellows, and are laden with active learning modules. Completion of eight units (32 credits) of graduate credit during the fifth year will result in an MA in Political Science.

The practicum component of the program is designed to help students: 1) explore, develop, apply and defend their personal value commitments, 2) use, develop and refine essential analytic and communication skills, and 3) gain concrete insights into the world of civic affairs.

It has four components:

1. A challenging internship in a public or private organization. The internship begins in the second semester of their senior year and will provide for a good deal of experiential learning about civic and political affairs.
2. A series of lectures and seminars presented by distinguished civic leaders and policy experts. This series is designed to introduce program Fellows to the real world of civic affairs, including its political challenges, policy dilemmas and ethical conundrums.
3. On-going involvement in a symposium series run by the Center for the Study of Democratic Governance. These symposia, such as the Cline Symposium and the Northern Trust Forum, address pressing societal matters and involve students in extended, task-oriented small group interactions with a diverse range of students and alumni.
4. A mentoring system. By the end of their junior year each student admitted to the program is assigned a mentor with extensive experience in civic affairs. Mentors are charged with providing their student with guidance and insights into the world of civic affairs and the challenges of civic leadership.

Integrating the academic and the practicum components is the program"s capstone experience: a two-unit Practicum in Civic Leadership that involves both collaborative and problem-based learning. In the fall semester, the Leadership Fellows, in conjunction with the program director, are required to identify, define and research, collaboratively, a controversial, value-laden public policy problem. In the spring semester they are required to outline a program of remedial action to the problem and devise a strategy for its implementation. At the end of the term, their collective definition, proposed action, and implementation strategy is presented to a subset of the Program"s Senior Fellows. Also attending the presentation will be the juniors and seniors in the Civic Leadership program.

The Senior Fellows have the option of recommending that the group"s work product be forwarded to an appropriate policymaking body (i.e., a legislative committee, an administrative agency, a regulatory body, etc.).

*The Academic Component: The academic side of the program is focused but cast broadly. It has four components designed to enhance the students grasp and understanding of: 1) the socioeconomic environment of civic affairs, 2) democratic institutions and processes, 3) leadership skills and tools, and 4) ethics and leadership in democratic settings. While these categories correspond roughly with the program"s educational objectives, the attainment of many of these objectives are achieved in the structure of the coursework and not though any specific course.

*Socioeconomic Environment: This component of the program familiarizes fellows with the economic, global, social, and technological challenges that will face future civic leaders.

*Political Institutions and Processes: Civic leadership requires a solid working knowledge of governmental and relevant non-governmental organizations (parties, interest groups, and the media). This includes: insights into American conceptions of the role of government, including how those conceptions have changed and evolved over time; a rich understanding of the structures and processes of modern American government, including normative evaluations and critiques of its performance; and a grasp of public policymaking processes, from agenda setting to program evaluation. Relevant courses will help students see how political dynamics mesh with economic, global, social, and technological forces to affect our ability to deal with crucial policy issues.

*Leadership Skills and Tools: Effective civic leadership in democratic
societies requires a variety of analytic and communication skills and tools. These include the ability to think clearly and analytically; identify, analyze and use information relevant to societal issues; present ideas clearly; and marshal evidence in support of arguments effectively.

*Ethics and Civic Leadership: One of the greatest challenges facing tomorrow"s leaders will be to establish high ethical standards in civic life for purposes of reclaiming the trust of the American citizenry.

*The Practicum Component: The practicum component of the program supplements and enhances the academic component. It makes important contributions to the achievement of the program"s educational objectives by involving students in a structured set of experiential, collaborative and/or task oriented experiences, as well as by involving them in a regular set of lectures and seminars provided by prominent civic leaders.

*The Internship: The internship program is administered by the program director, who is responsible for assisting students in securing internship opportunities and monitoring student progress while they are serving their internship. The internships are required to be at some location off-campus. Many CLP students go to Springfield or Washington, DC but some have gone to places like Berlin, London and Italy.

These off-campus internships provide meaningful experiences in the realm of civic affairs. Ideally these internships will begin in the spring semester and last through the summer. Students will receive a stipend and will earn 12 credits for successfully completing the internship and the academic assignments as designated by the director.  Students accepted into the Civic Leadership program automatically also are accepted into the Illinois in Washington program.  Participation in the Illinois in Washington program is optional, but provides a streamlined way for students interested in a "Washington experience" to satisfy the CLP internship requirement.

*Lecture/Seminar Series: The practicum component of the program will also include a series of two or three public lectures each year by prominent leaders in civic affairs and/or public policy experts.

*Symposia Series: The Center for the Study of Democratic Governance runs the Cline Symposium and soon will inaugurate the Northern Trust Forum . It will sponsor 2-4 symposia every year on a diverse range of topics related to democratic governance. An integral part of these symposia are extended, task-oriented small group sessions involving both UIUC students and distinguished alumni. Leadership Fellows will play an active role in these small group sessions, aiding the alumni in facilitating discussions and generating consensual responses to issues, controversies and problems.

*Mentoring System: The CLP Fellows have access to a group distinguished alumni and friends of the University who have agreed to act as mentors.  Sample List of Mentors

*The Capstone Experience: The Practicum in Civic Leadership seminar is the principal bridge between the academic and the practicum components of the program. During the first semester of their graduate year, the Fellows engage in an in-depth exploration of a predetermined policy issue (some aspect of the healthcare system, international trade, welfare reform, citizen participation in politics, etc.). The result will be a well-developed background paper on the topic, which will be collaboratively prepared. The second semester will be devoted to the development of a response to that policy issue and a strategy for implementing that response. Students are encouraged to consider a range of options (private, public, joint, none at all), along with the implications of each.

In addition to allowing the Fellows to integrate much of what they learn in the academic and practicum components of the program, this seminar provides them with experience in working collaboratively to address a pressing social problem. The practicum presents an opportunity for students to learn about, and deal with, different perspectives on important policy issues.

*The Joint Civic Leadership/Juris Doctorate Program: Because of the versatility and utility of a law degree, the Program offers a joint degree program. Qualified Civic Leadership Fellows are able to complete both the Civic Leadership Program and all of the requirements for the Juris Doctorate in the same amount of time normally required to complete the J.D., three years beyond the baccalaureate degree. Applicants selected as Fellows in the Civic Leadership Program who have taken the LSAT before the Fall of their junior year are eligible for early admission to the School of Law. Fellows who have not taken the LSAT can apply to the School of Law in their senior year; if they are accepted they will still be able to complete the joint CL/JD program in three years.