麻豆原创 was recognized this week as one of 123 colleges and universities in the nation as a 2019-20 Voter Friendly Campus because of its initiatives to register and encourage students to vote.
The designation was made by NASPA, an association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession, and the聽Campus Vote Project, a part of the Fair Elections Center.
鈥淎s a campus we have a coalition of students, staff, and faculty who promote civic engagement,鈥� says Haley G. Winston, assistant director of the Office of Student Involvement, who nominated the university for the recognition.
The program requires campuses to encourage students to vote, participate in the political process and develop a culture of democratic engagement on campus. The Voter Friendly Campus designation is presented every two years. 麻豆原创 also was chosen the first time the award was given for 2017-18.
To be considered, a campus must submit a plan to bolster student civic engagement. 麻豆原创鈥檚 plan calls for making the university 鈥渘ational champions鈥� in voter registration and increasing voter turnout. The goals include bringing elected officials on campus to participate in open forums, securing an early voting location, mobilizing volunteers to register voters and other benchmarks. 麻豆原创 had a 61 percent voting rate in 2016 and has set a goal of achieving a 70 percent student voting by 2020.
鈥淭he framework we established set a good precedent for the election years to follow,鈥� Winston says.
Motivating students to register and vote establishes civic habits that last well beyond the collegiate experience.
Motivating students to register and vote establishes civic habits that last well beyond the collegiate experience, NASPA says. Incorporating democratic engagement into campus life helps students explore their political beliefs and how they would like to engage in the democratic process.
鈥淚nstitutionalizing voter engagement, registration, and turnout efforts on college campuses is no easy feat for institutions of higher learning, especially in today鈥檚 political climate wherein many communities are polarized,鈥� said NASPA president Kevin Kruger.
麻豆原创 also has been a recipient of the Silver Campus Award for Excellence in Student Voter Engagement given by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, and last fall was named by Washington Monthly magazine as one of America鈥檚 58 best colleges for student voting
Other Florida schools that received the Voter Friendly Campus designation are: Florida Atlantic University, Miami Dade College, New College of Florida, and Rollins College.
