School of Civic Life and Leadership

Introduction

The School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL) offers courses that explore the foundational questions, texts, and traditions that have shaped American democracy and Western thought and that continue to inform civic life. The School’s curriculum targets four core competencies: 

developing a civic perspective that connects philosophy, history, religion, economics, and politics; 
mastering the American civic tradition and its global influences; 
critically examining how the Western tradition serves broader human flourishing;  
building skills for public discourse and leadership.

Through this interdisciplinary program of study, students cultivate the capacities for civil discourse and wise leadership, and are prepared to live meaningful lives in a pluralistic democracy.

On Carolina’s campus, SCiLL fosters a vibrant culture of civic engagement through its Civil Discourse Residential Community (CivComm), the Program for Public Discourse, and the Public Fellows Program, while partnering with units across the university. Beyond campus, SCiLL advances civil discourse and civic education through programs with the School of Government for state legislators and congressional chiefs of staff, high school debate tournaments, and partnerships with local schools. SCiLL also supports the nation’s educators through a civics institute for high school teachers and students and civil discourse seminars for university faculty.

Advising

All SCiLL minors are assigned a faculty mentor, who will reach out to take students to lunch or coffee at least once a semester. Mentors can offer advice on course selection, as well as internship and post-graduate advising. Further information on courses, faculty, and undergraduate opportunities may be obtained from the department’s website.

Opportunities for Students

Students minoring in Civic Life and Leadership also have access to the following co-curricular opportunities:

Eligibility for summer research, internship, and scholarship funding;
The opportunity to attend and participate in reading groups, field trips, debate societies, and events put on by the department and the Program for Public Discourse.

In addition, SCiLL's Civil Discourse Residential Community is a vibrant residential learning program that empowers Carolina students to engage in courageous, honest and respectful conversations about life’s most fundamental questions.

Minors