California University of Pennsylvania has been named a Voter Friendly Campus for 2019-2020, one of 10 universities in the state to be recognized by the Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
It is the second time the university has been named a Voter Friendly Campus.
Nationwide, 123 campuses in 31 states received the designation for developing plans to engage students in the electoral process.
Schools were evaluated on developing a plan to engage students in the midterm elections in 2018, facilitating voter engagement efforts on campus and analyzing the success of the initiatives.
The American Democracy Project at Cal U partnered with other campus groups to prioritize voter education, registration and mobilization. ADP provided registration tables at campus events; organized forums on campaign issues; planned rides to the polls on Election Day; and welcomed a panel of experts to analyze the results.
Also in 2018, Cal U received a $6,000 grant from the Campus Vote Project that was used, in part, for stipends for two students who were chosen as election and voter engagement fellows.
“Cal U invests much time and effort into civic engagement programming, because today’s college students will be tomorrow’s community leaders,” said Dr. Melanie Blumberg, director of the American Democracy Project at Cal U and a professor of political science.