GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University’s commitment to an informed electorate and registration for as many eligible voters as possible aligns with the higher education institution’s mission to promote civic engagement.
Students Joshua Fife-Offshack, left, and Zoe Campbell participate in voter registration activities in September.
That focus has also resulted in Tusculum’s selection for Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting 2024 from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The award recognizes colleges and universities that are making intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and college student voting.
Tusculum is one of 471 colleges and universities across the country to earn this designation. This is the second time Tusculum has earned the honor, the first coming during the inaugural awarding in 2022.
“We are thrilled to achieve this status because we strongly encourage our student body to actively participate in the electoral process,” said Dr. Shelby Ward, an assistant professor of political science and coordinator of Tusculum’s Center for Civic Advancement. “Students in our Bonner Leader Program and in our political science courses are excellent partners in helping spread the word about the importance and value of voting. This will continue to be an important element of the Tusculum experience for our students.”
The university was recognized for completing four core actions:
- Participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
- Sharing 2022 National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement reports with campus voting data with ALL IN
- Developing and submitting a 2024 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN
- Having a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation.
Tusculum regularly holds voter registration drives, the most recent taking place Sept. 17. On that day, students were able to register to vote, check their registration status and learn more about the process. That same day, students in Tusculum’s American Government class helped host an event as part of the university’s observance of Constitution Day in which their classmates could learn about and test their own Constitutional knowledge.
Tusculum students participate in voter registration activities on campus in September.
Leading up to Election Day, the CCA and the university also kept students, faculty and staff up to date on key dates for voter registration, early voting and requests for absentee ballots. Tusculum family members were also provided with resources in Tennessee to inform them about elections, and they were encouraged to learn about the candidates and the issues.
During the summer, Dr. Ward developed the assignment for the civic engagement category of the Tusculum Experience orientation class for university students called “How to be a Citizen: 101.” One of the objectives of that assignment was to recognize the significance of active participation in democratic processes and community activities.
“Our Center for Civic Advancement, faculty, staff and students perform a great service to the community and our country with their active involvement in the electoral process,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “When students register to vote and cast their ballots, they participate in a fundamental element of being a citizen of our nation. We want our students not only to earn a degree but also to recognize their responsibility and opportunity to be actively engaged in the betterment of their communities. Voting is a critical part of demonstrating that connection.”
To learn more about the CCA, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/student-affairs/clubs-organizations/cca/. Further information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.