Civicus at SOU

SOU’s Cīvicus: Advancing Civic Education course was created in response to the growing urgency to rebuild civic trust, knowledge, and curiosity, and to do so in shared, nonpartisan, civil dialogue.

Your gift today helps support the Cīvicus Project Fund

Donations provide essential support for guest lectures, specialized instructional materials, and opportunities for students to study, observe, and actively engage in civic processes and civil discourse. Additionally, students enrolled in the Cīvicus course receive t-shirts, designed not merely as tokens of participation but as visible prompts to encourage dialogue about civic life as they explore principles of governance and practice the responsibilities of citizenship both on campus and in the broader community.

As a thank you to champions and supporters of Cīvicus at SOU, we are offering the benefit of a limited-edition SOU Cīvicus t-shirt with a gift of at least $100 or two shirts for a gift of $200 or more. While these are the minimum amounts to receive the benefit, we encourage supporters like you to donate more than the minimum if you can. Use the form below to make your gift, and please include preferred t-shirt size(s) if you wish to receive the t-shirt benefit.

*The tax-deductibility of your donation is offset by $30 for each t-shirt received. If you wish to opt out of the t-shirt benefit, please select “No” to the t-shirt question on the gift form. Only two shirts per household.

Questions about Cīvicus at SOU can be directed to Prakash Chenjeri, chenjeri@sou.edu.

Thank you for your support!

Cīvicus

The term Civicus derives from the Latin civis, meaning “citizen,” a word that signified not only membership in a political community but also the duties, privileges, and shared destiny that came with belonging. In the ancient world, to be a civis was to be recognized as someone whose voice and actions mattered in shaping collective life. It implied participation, responsibility, and identity within a civic order. Reclaiming this root for our own time reminds us that citizenship is not a passive condition but an active practice of engagement, deliberation, and care for the common good.

In the 21st century, the idea of Cīvicus takes on renewed urgency. Democracies today face strains from polarization, erosion of trust, and disruptive technologies that challenge our ability to discern truth and act collectively. Against this backdrop, Cīvicus calls us back to the essence of citizenship: to be stewards of democratic life through informed participation, critical reasoning, and meaningful dialogue.

The course Cīvicus: Advancing Civic Education embodies this ethos by tracing the historical evolution of citizenship, examining its philosophical foundations, and confronting the challenges that threaten it in our own age. To embrace Civicus is to affirm that democracy depends.

Instructions for donating by mail> Faculty/Staff giving>

To give by mail, make out a check to “SOU Foundation” with “Civicus” on the memo line. Please include whether you want the t-shirt benefit and what size(s) if applicable. Mail your donation to:

Your gift today helps support the Cīvicus Project Fund

Thank you for your support!

Cīvicus

The SOU Foundation

1250 Siskiyou Boulevard

Ashland, Oregon 97520