The Core Commitments Project is divided into the following threads:

• Critical Thinking About Values
  We plan to expand the BGeX program beyond the focus on critical thinking about values in students’ first semester. The College of Business Administration, the School of Communication Studies, and the Department of History have been chosen to participate in a pilot project designed to plan and carry out curricular revisions. New BGeX courses in students’ majors will be developed during 2007-08 and offer for the first time in 2008-09.
• Service-Learning
  We plan to expand the University’s service-learning capacity. A faculty learning community and comprised of 10 faculty members will develop new service-learning courses and/or to incorporate a significant service-learning component into existing courses that will be offered for the first time during 2008-09. The learning community will not only generate new service-learning courses, but will also create a model for continued faculty development in service-learning and expand opportunities for community and campus partnerships.
• Co-Curriculum
  We plan to expand education for personal and social responsibility within the co-curriculum. A group of four faculty members, four student affairs professionals, and four student leaders will work with twelve student organizations. The twelve student organizations will create demonstration projects that contribute to the ongoing dialogue about how to create a campus community that exemplifies the very best elements of meaningful personal and social stewardship and promotes deep learning and student engagement. We hope that the projects will focus students’ attention on critical local, national, and international issues. The participating student organizations will display their projects via an interactive, web-based Core Commitments e-portfolio and a University-wide e-dialogue and poster session.
  
  The following organizations are participating in the co-curricular project thread:
  
  • Amnesty International:  Human Rights Film Series; Protests and Education regarding Human Rights Issues related to the War on Terror; Fair Trade Merchandise Sale
  • Black Student Union:  Collaborated with Dry Dock to present...The Black Educational Tribute (BET) Awards
  • FREEDOM:  Spring Break Service-Learning Trip to Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries in Texas; Open Mic! Events in the Union once a month for Performance Artists; Protests and raising awareness about Student Loans Movement; Postcard Art Project
  • N.A.A.C.P.  (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People); Sigma Lambda Beta; Sigma Lambda Gamma:  Collaborated to present a panel on Interracial Dating
  • Student Initiative for Global Competitiveness:  Conference on Students Global Competitiveness
  • Student Organization of Social Workers (S.O.S.W.): Halloween party for Big Brothers/Big Sisters; Visited the residents at WoodHaven nursing home; Traveled to the South Bronx to work on various community projects

The Showcase:

• April 9, 2008 these student organizations participated in the day-long Values in Action Student Showcase, where the projects they have been working on throughout the year were featured.
• During the day student organizations displayed their work regarding personal and social responsibility in the Bowen Thompson Student Union.
• In the evening a reception was held for students to have the chance to interact with one another.
• Presentations followed the reception and each organization presented the work they have done regarding personal and social responsibility this year and their future plans.
• Each organization fielded questions, such that the presentation time became more of a dialog for student organizations to interact with one another.
• The evening concluded with a time for everyone present to offer their own take on personal and social responsibility.