Civic-Minded Graduate: A North Star

Abstract

Because of increased interest in higher education regarding the civic learning outcomes for college students and graduates, identifying and measuring civic learning outcomes is important to evaluating the efficacy of civic engagement programs and teaching strategies (e.g., service-learning). A conceptual framework for the Civic-Minded Graduate (CMG) construct is presented as well as three measurement procedures (i.e., CMG Scale, CMG Narrative Prompt and Rubric, CMG Interview Protocol and Rubric) that evaluate the construct. Results from three studies provide evidence of the psychometric properties of each measurement procedure and converging evidence to support the meaningfulness of the CMG construct. Implications of adopting the CMG as a “north star” for future research and practice are presented.