The initiative, led by national groups Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA (National
Association of Student Personnel Administrators), holds participating schools accountable
for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students to register
and vote. Campus representatives will participate in trainings to develop and implement strategic
plans to foster a culture of democratic engagement among students.
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Winthrop University has pledged to spend the next year
working to be a "Voter Friendly Campus."
The initiative, led by national groups Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators), holds participating schools
accountable for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students
to register and vote.
The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the
political process. Campus representatives will participate in trainings to develop
and implement strategic plans to foster a culture of democratic engagement among students.
Institutions that complete the program will be evaluated in early 2017 and awarded
the Voter Friendly Campus designation through December 2018.
Nearly 100 campuses are committed to the program. Winthrop is making a strong statement
about the civic mission of higher education to prepare students to be engaged participants
in our democracy, according to Frank Ardaiolo, vice president for student life, and Karen Kedrowski, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
"Winthrop strives to instill habits of mind into our students. This includes the responsibilities
of informed citizenship, voting and political participation -- critical components
of our American democracy," said Kedrowski and Ardaiolo.
The institutions undertaking the designation process this year represent a wide range
of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural and urban campuses, with a total enrollment
of nearly 1.5 million students.
For more information, contact Kedrowski at kedrowskik@winthrop.edu or at 803/323-2160 or Ardaiolo at ardaiolof@winthrop.edu or 803/323-2251.
