Many institutions look to higher education s traditional mission of community service.
We believe that the challenge of the next millennium is the renewal of our own democratic life and reassertion of social stewardship. In celebrating the birth of our democracy, we can think of no nobler task than committing ourselves to helping catalyze and lead a national movement to reinvigorate the public purposes and civic mission of higher education. We believe that now and through the next century, our institutions must be vital agents and architects of a flourishing democracy. We urge all of higher education to join us. Fourth of July Declaration on the Civic Responsibility of Higher Education More than three hundred college and university presidents signed the Fourth of July Declaration , drafted at a 1999 leadership colloquium sponsored by Campus Compact, a coalition of presidents committed to helping students develop the values and skills of citizenship through participation in public and community service.