Civic Engagement
The civic outcomes survey was last administered in spring 2018 and surveyed students on civic capacity, civic agency and civic knowledge. The college is focusing on a collegewide metric for civic agency that is aligned to the vision and mission of the college.
On average, survey respondents are most likely to agree/strongly agree they have the tools to seek out information in order to develop an informed position on a social or political issue. The majority of respondents, on average report their experiences at De Anza somewhat/to a great extent contributed to their ability to have a civil conversation about controversial issues with someone whose background or views are different than their own. A majority of students also report their experiences at De Anza somewhat/to a great extent contributed to their ability to have their views challenged by others.
While the survey data was not disaggregated by ethnicity, research shows that race and ethnicity are significantly associated with civic outcomes, although the effects of race on different types of civic engagement vary substantially. For example, Latinx and African American students are more likely than whites to demonstrate higher levels of civic capacity, civic agency and civic knowledge. However, Latinx and African American students, as well as Asians (including Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders), are less likely than whites to engage in civic behaviors. In addition, Asian students are less likely than whites to exhibit civic agency. Bi- or multi-racial students, however, are more likely than whites to demonstrate higher levels of civic knowledge.[1]
[1] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0091552116662117