What Is the American Democracy Project?

The American Democracy Project (ADP) is a multi-campus initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Its mission is to create an intellectual and experiential understanding of civic engagement for undergraduates enrolled at AASCU member institutions in order to produce graduates who understand and are committed to engaging in meaningful actions as citizens in a democracy.

Begun in 2002, ADP now has affiliates on the campuses of over 200 institutions. George L. Mehaffy, Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change at AASCU, is the National ADP Project Director.

The University of Northern Iowa American Democracy Project (UNI APD) was initiated by Aaron Podolefsky, Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs, in 2003-2004.  An ADP committee was formed and since 2004 the committee and its members have been responsible for initiating a variety of courses, workshops, and presentations on topics and issues related to civic engagement. For more information on ADP, scroll toward the bottom of this page. For more information on ADP initiatives, click on the links in the header of this page.

More About ADP

Mission Statement for the American Democracy Project at UNI:

The American Democracy Project at the University of Northern Iowa seeks to develop in the university community the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to doing the hard work of democratic living.

For a list of goals for the UNI American Democracy Project, click here.

For a list of other colleges/universities involved in the American Democracy Project, click here.

For more information on the ADP at UNI or the ADP committee, contact:

Gerri Perreault, Chair