The University of St. Thomas has been awarded the Highly Established Action Plan Seal by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, an organization that encourages student voter engagement through the Campus Democracy Challenge. St. Thomas, which was ranked No. 4 in Minnesota campus voting, was recognized for having one of the top 82 submitted action plans and for its commitment to increasing nonpartisan democratic engagement in 2022.
CEVEA, the university's civic engagement task force operated in part by the Center for Common Good, aims for an 85% voter registration rate and 70% voter turnout rate across campus for the 2022 election cycle, up from the respective 80% and 61% from the 2018 midterm election year.
Based on results from the CEVEA membership survey, the university aims to increase events that engage a wider segment of the St. Thomas community, such as through hosting more guest speakers and panel discussions and partnering with student clubs, including College Democrats, College Republicans and Bridge.
The group will continue partnerships with local nonpartisan groups, such as the League of Women Voters-St. Paul and the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network.
“Colleges and universities have a responsibility to prepare students to engage meaningfully in our nation’s democracy,” said Dr. Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “The role they play in developing the next generation of voters and shaping our future cannot be understated. We are proud to recognize the University of St. Thomas for working to graduate the next generation of voters by developing and implementing a comprehensive, data-informed campus action plan.”
