Education serves an integral role in civic responsibility. Distinct information on civic engagement programming at Oklahoma's colleges and universities is available through the national Campus Compact Annual Membership Survey.

2009 SERVICE STATISTICS FOR OKLAHOMA

Students: An average of 29%, or 1,699 students, were involved in community service, service–learning, and civic engagement activities, slightly less than the Campus Compact states' average of 33%. This involvement averaged 1.9 hours per week per campus, also below the Campus Compact states' average, for a total of 4,630,113 hours served in 2008–2009.

Faculty and Administration : An average of 26 service–learning courses were offered on each Oklahoma campus of higher education, with an average of 7%, or 20 faculty teaching a service–learning course. Such faculty involvement is slightly more than the Campus Compact states' average of 6%. Presidents of Oklahoma institutions of higher education report signicant support of service–learning and civic engagement on their campuses, with 79% stating that they participate in campus service and civic engagement activities, and 83% publicly promoting service and civic engagement. 31

Community Partners: Oklahoma campuses average 42 community partnerships, with nonprofit/community–based organizations and K–12 schools representing the most frequent partners. 32

HIGHER EDUCATION VALUES ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE
The higher education accreditation standards set forth by the Higher Learning Commission place an emphasis on engagement and service. Criterion Five provides that: “As called for by its mission, the organization identies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.” The components for compliance include learning from the constituencies the institution serves, analyzing its capacity to serve their needs and expectations, maintaining the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identied constituencies and communities, showing its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service, and demonstrating these constituencies value the services the organization provides.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AS INDICATOR
We know educational attainment is an important indicator of group involvement in Oklahoma. Group participation jumps from 38% for those with some college experience to 61% for those with a college degree. 33

The dramatic increases in engagement following the lines of educational attainment are also visible in the category of political participation. Only 28% of those with some college experience report engaging in at least one non–electoral political act while 53% of college graduates do so. Similar patterns appear in both volunteerism rates and charitable donations. This is not necessarily bad news for Oklahoma as educational attainment continues to rise steadily. 34

Progress in rates of educational attainment, stimulated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Brain Gain 2010 initiative, should result in increased levels of volunteerism and engagement. Since 2001, the proportion of Oklahoma residents with college degrees has grown from 20.4% to 22.2%. 35 Another state higher–education initiative, “Making Place Matter,” serves to enhance civic engagement in Oklahoma. A project of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, “Making Place Matter” provides tools and practical insights for community and campus leaders as they seek to build partnerships and to create a more vital and sustainable economy in their local and regional communities. Oklahoma institutions of higher education promote regional stewardship and mobilize the assets of a higher education system toward economic development, community service, and outreach goals.

“CAMPUS VOTE INITIATIVE”
Other initiatives, such as the biannual “Campus Vote Initiative” sponsored by Oklahoma Campus Compact, enhance civic education and engagement. In 2008, the program set a new record through the voter registration of 5,300 students. Over its seven–year history, the Oklahoma Campus Vote Initiative Contest has been responsible for registering more than18,000 new voters on college campuses.

K–12
Oklahoma's public school principals report that on average, parents and community members volunteer 3.1 hours of service per student annually. Unlike other areas of civic engagement, volunteer rates in K–12 schools do not appear predominantly in areas with high educational attainment. Of the 20 public school districts with the highest rate of volunteer hours, 80% are located in counties well below the state average for percent of population with a college degree. The K–12 schools could be a great place to encourage volunteerism among those parents and community members who are otherwise less engaged. 36