College earns recognition for student voting engagement

Update | Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Columbus State has earned the esteemed “Voter Friendly Campus” national designation for 2021-2022 and was awarded a Bronze Seal from the College’s All-In Democracy Challenge in 2020. The goal is to retain the Voter Friendly Campus designation in the 2023-2024 election cycle.

Columbus State has remained committed to student civic engagement and encourages students to make positive impacts in the community. One way to boost involvement is to help them become politically informed and engaged. 

Led by the nonpartisan Student Democratic Engagement Committee, the College has increased student democratic engagement through voter registration efforts and voter information outreach. It also worked to institutionalize the engagement commitment. The College used in-person and virtual voter registration drives for the Columbus and Delaware campuses this year. Students registered to vote during New Student Orientation, Welcome Week, and special events such as U.S. Constitution Day. 

Students had the opportunity to attend voter education events. One of them, “Open POLS,” was a live panel featuring Political Science faculty members presenting and answering questions. In addition, voter Information shared through campus-wide marketing included video messaging, a voting web page on the Library website, and Columbus State’s social media. Voting information was also made accessible directly through Blackboard and CougarConnect. 

This year, Columbus State invested in continuing efforts to increase student democratic engagement with the opening of the Student Voter Registration Kiosk in Nestor Hall and the hiring of MacKenzie Wilcox as coordinator of voter information and special projects. Wilcox can be reached at mwilcox14@cscc.edu.

New student democratic engagement efforts will resume during Spring Semester as the 2022 mid-term elections approach.

Pictued below: Faculty member Ben Pugno, on the right with red shirt, takes part in Constitution Day on the Delaware Campus on September 17, 2021. A student is on the left, and a member of the League of Women Voters is in the background on the right.

Go to 2021 Update Archive Go to Employee Update