About The McCall Center for Civic Engagement
Pacific University prepares students for lives as informed and active citizens. Civic engagement addresses social, political, and environmental issues in the community through actions that can make a difference on those issues, including service, advocacy, awareness-raising, activism, action-oriented research, deliberative dialogue, electoral participation, and political involvement. We often refer to the Social Change Wheel to describe the variety of activities that fall under the umbrella of civic engagement at Pacific.
The McCall Center for Civic Engagement, or MCCE, works with students, faculty and staff members, campus groups (such as athletic teams and clubs), and community partners to facilitate participation in service, awareness campaigns, fundraising, elections, and other civic engagement activities. The McCall Center provides support to faculty and students in courses with a civic engagement component, especially those that fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences Core requirement for civic engagement, and houses the minor in Social Innovation and Nonprofit Leadership. The McCall Center is nonpartisan and seeks to uphold the university mission to work toward a diverse and sustainable community in which students "think, care, create, and pursue justice in our world."
Why Civic Engagement?
Civic engagement can facilitate learning, develop active citizens, and improve communities. Students can gain new insights on academic subjects, information for career exploration, and the opportunity to acquire new skills by serving the community. Working with others, you can experience the power of cooperating to create change. And, giving back to the community through a variety of programs and activities can be deeply rewarding.
Our civic engagement program relies upon a strong network of relationships within the university and throughout Forest Grove, Washington County, and the Portland Metro area. Community partners are welcome to contact us with inquiries, feedback, and ideas. Potential and current partners might both find our new collaborative list of of Pacific contacts for various community connections, resources, and services useful.
Our Mission
The McCall Center for Civic Engagement at Pacific University fosters an engaged campus that connects students, faculty, and staff with community partners to serve the common good, revitalize our community, and facilitate learning within a community context. The Center promotes the value of life-long active citizenship, building a sense of empowerment to effect meaningful social participation, while cultivating the development of critical thinking skills and the capacity to reflect on one’s own set of values.