ǿմý Recognized for Efforts to Engage Students Politically, Ramp Up Voting Numbers
In a nod to the institution’s successful efforts to increase the campus’s participation in voting and elections, ǿմý has been named as one of just seven “Voter Friendly Campuses” in California.
ǿմý has received recognition as a “Voter Friendly Campus,” one of a handful of California colleges to earn that designation.
“This latest designation underscores the College’s national reputation for excellence in student voting” said Politics Professor Steve Woolpert. “By engaging in the democratic process, our students learn to see themselves as individuals with a responsibility to contribute to their communities. It’s a tribute to our students, and we should be proud of them.”
We'll second that.
The goal of the Voter Friendly Campus program is to help institutions develop democratic engagement action plans that coordinate administrators, faculty, and student organizations in civic and electoral engagement.
itself began in 2016. The partnership that led to the program’s creation—between the Fair Elections Center’s and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ —was formed as a tool to support higher education institutions fulfilling the requirements of the .
The goal of the Voter Friendly Campus program is to help institutions develop democratic engagement action plans that coordinate administrators, faculty, and student organizations in civic and electoral engagement.
The Voter Friendly Campus designation process was then developed in an effort to create more measurable and manageable guidelines for institutions to follow in order to create a more voter-friendly campus. The cohort of Voter-Friendly Campuses for 2023–2024 includes 258 institutions nationwide, with just three Bay Area institutions—Saint Mary’s, the University of San Francisco, and the California College of the Arts—making the list.
Among other criteria, campuses were evaluated on their ability to engage a coalition of campus members from staff, faculty, students, community organizations, and local election officials to develop a written plan for how the institution would engage student voters. Voter education, engagement efforts on campus, and a written analysis of their efforts were also critiqued as part of the evaluation process.
“Congratulations to the 258 institutions who continued their efforts, even during a non-national election year, to break down barriers and empower students with the information and tools they need to participate in the political process,” wrote the Voter Friendly Campus designation program in a statement. “This work undoubtedly played a part in the in the 2022 elections and opened the door to lifelong civic engagement for their students.”
LEARN MORE about political engagement activities at Saint Mary’s, and read about one Gael student’s journey that inspired her to become more involved in voting and politics.