Building Robust & Inclusive Democracy

Strategic Direction

Our North Star: Building robust, inclusive democracy for an increasingly multiracial society

Building on Tufts University’s strengths as a civically engaged, student-centered, research institution—and its aspiration to become an anti-racist institution—Tisch College’s North Star helps situate Tufts as an academic leader in a society in which democracy is at risk, and in which there is a need for just and effective governance for a emerging multiracial societies. 

Our Strategic Plan: What is Ours To Do?

For more than a year, Tisch College engaged in an inclusive strategic planning process. Convening over 120 group discussions, meetings and stakeholder interviews, the process and resulting plan reflect the input of alumni, community partners, students, staff, faculty, and university leaders. Our strategic planning process asked the central question of civic life: what is ours to do? 

Underpinning Tisch College’s strategic direction is a renewed commitment to fostering and supporting a new generation of global leaders, with the skills, knowledge and experience to work across differences to achieve progress and to build and sustain robust, inclusive democracy. Tisch College's work will seek to: create new knowledge about the challenges of building robust, inclusive democracy, with a particular focus on marginalized youth; train a generation of citizen leaders; and collaborate with communities to solve emerging challenges.

Our strategic plan outlines four main priorities for the next phase of our work together:

1. Increase North Star alignment & collaboration within Tisch College 
2. Expand partnerships across Tufts to foster civic engagement & deepen student experience 
3. Strengthen community-engaged research & external partnerships 
4. Extend local, national & global impact & learning

We invite you to review the Strategic Plan Executive Summary, to join us in this work, and to stay tuned to this space for progress updates over the coming months and year. 

Educating the Next Generation for a Multiracial Democracy

Dayna Cunningham, the Pamela and Pierre Omidyar Dean of Tisch College of Civic Life, outlines opportunities and responsibilities for higher education in readying the next generation of engaged citizens to govern themselves in a multiracial democracy.

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg

Saving Democracy

Democracy in the United States is under its biggest threat in decades. What does a healthy democracy mean for the success of the nation? And what can the average person do to protect it? Saving Democracy explores the challenges facing democracy today and our best hopes for safeguarding it. The video series was produced by TuftsNow with experts from Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.

Learn More about Saving Democracy