November nineteen, 2019

WCU Earns a Gilt Seal for Excellence in Pupil Voter Engagement

West Chester University Voter EngagementMore than gilded for the Golden Rams! Students at W Chester University have again exceeded the national average, this fourth dimension, past heading to the polls and earning a Aureate Seal for their voter participation in midterm elections.

A national study reported 79% of WCU'southward eligible student voters had registered to vote, and of those eligible, 56% voted in the 2018 midterm elections, showing a nearly 30% increase since the 2014 midterms. WCU students' voting rate of 43.8% is 4.7 percentage points above the national charge per unit of 39.1%. The national nonpartisan initiative ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge awards Gilded Seals to institutions for achieving a student voting charge per unit between twoscore% and 49%.

Data was gathered past the not-partisan National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), an initiative of Tufts University'southward Institute for Democracy & College Educational activity.

 "Due west Chester Academy is thrilled that our level of student voter engagement is above the national average," said Judy Kawamoto, WCU Banana Vice President for Student Development. "We strive to create a culture of civic engagement and agile citizenship on our campus, and this recognition is a reflection of the hard work by our Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs staff."

The WCU initiative is an interdisciplinary effort involving not only the Part of Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs (OSLVP), but also students, faculty, and administrators from a wide assortment of academic departments; offices inside the Pupil Affairs Division; student organizations; athletics; and the community organizations Your Vote Is Your Voice and the League of Women Voters. In improver, three students coordinated various registration and education programs and earned a stipend as 2018 Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) fellows: Hanna Donohue, Madison Ogborn, and Kathleen Weber.

The team wrote in their written report, "Through word of mouth, the committee received e-mail from more than students, faculty, and staff wanting to get involved or volunteer. This engagement project has helped in making the campus much more involved with voting and voter engagement. It has provided the campus with a new-found excitement for this type of civic duty."

A coalition of faculty and staff remains in identify, committed to continuing the piece of work. For information or to participate, contact Shannon Gillespie, OSLVP Acting Assistant Director.

Since NSLVE'south launch in 2013, more 1,000 colleges and universities accept signed up to receive their voting rates for the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 federal elections. And more than 560 campuses enrolling more than 6.vii million students have joined the ALL IN Campus Republic Challenge since its launch in summer 2016.

STUDENTS! Earn $$

Get paid while contributing to nonpartisan student voter educational activity and engagement at WCU! A paid position every bit WCU'south institutional swain for the Campus Ballot Date Project is available to i student. HURRY! The deadline to utilise is Friday, Nov. 22.

Learn more about the democratic process of voting and atomic number 82 the charge in registering, educating, and engaging your peers in voting and other civic date initiatives.Email Shannon Gillespie in the Office of Service Learning and Volunteer Programs for applications and more information.

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