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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – A new report celebrating voter engagement efforts in 2022 and a recognition for its plans to engage students in 2024 has Salem State University holding true to its status as the Commonwealth’s Civic Engagement University.
A new report from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) on student voter engagement in 2022 included a spotlight on Salem State’s efforts to register students to vote and turn them out during 2022’s midterm elections. At the same time, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge awarded Salem State a “Highly Established Action Plan” seal for its plans to support student voting in this year’s highly consequential presidential election.
“At the heart of Salem State University is a commitment to create an informed and engaged student community and citizenry in preparation for election season,” said President John D. Keenan. “As the Commonwealth’s Civic Engagement University, we are dedicated to guiding and supporting Salem State Vikings during the voting process. Our student ambassador program and Vikings Vote campus-wide initiative are just a couple of examples of the many ways we do so.”
The NSLVE report is published every two years from the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. This year’s report revealed that overall student voting rates dropped nationally, indicating there is work to be done for college campuses to better engage students.
Alongside the data demonstrating that trend, the report also included several “Stories from an NSLVE Campus” to spotlight effective programs on college campuses that encourage students to participate in the voting process. In addition to Salem State, the report recognized successful programs running at: the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California; Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri; and the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia.
The report closed with highlighting Salem State’s student ambassador program, a program “created to facilitate a strategic approach to voter and student engagement,” the report reads.
“The program was initiated during the 2021 local elections, expanded for the 2022 federal midterms, and continues to evolve to best fit the needs and culture of SSU,” the report reads. “The student ambassador program opts for a targeted approach. Each student vote ambassador works intentionally with specific campus departments or communities to collaboratively integrate voter engagement and inspire a culture of civic engagement across campus.”
The report also features two Salem State Vikings on its cover, holding clipboards decorated with orange signs containing the school’s Viking mascot and the words “Get Ready To Vote!” in bold face.
Just as the report was being released by Tufts, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge also announced that Salem State earned the Highly Established Action Plan Seal for the 2024 election cycle. The seal recognizes campuses with “a nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan” based on the program’s Strengthening American Democracy Action Planning Guide (SADG) rubric.
“Civic Participation is a hallmark of a Salem State education,” said Cynthia Lynch, executive director of the Frederic E. Berry Institute of Politics. “It’s wonderful to be recognized by the ALL IN Challenge for the significant planning we do for each election season. As we head into the 2024 Presidential Election, we recognize that 18-to-29-year-olds are the largest and most diverse group of potential voters and that gives them the power to elect candidates who will fight for the issues and futures they care about. The Berry Institute of Politics is ready to welcome students to campus and make sure they are registered to vote, if they are able; educate students on the issues; and lead a robust Get Out the Vote effort.”
The two recognitions come as Salem State seeks to recertify their Elective Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. First achieved in 2020 and recertified on a six-year cycle, the classification recognizes institutions with strong community engagement values. Salem State is one of 369 colleges and universities with the community engagement classification.
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About Salem State University
Known as the Commonwealth’s civic engagement university, Salem State University, established in 1854, is a comprehensive, public institution of higher learning located approximately 15 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. One of the largest state universities in the Commonwealth, Salem State enrolls about 6,500 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers 32 undergraduate programs and graduate programs that offer degrees in 24 fields. The university also has a continuing education division that offers both credit and non-credit programs. Salem State proudly participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement and has shown a student voting rate above the national average, earning it a Silver Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. In 2020, Salem State received Carnegie Community Engagement Classification and was designated a Best for Vets College by Military Times. Salem State is proud to be an emerging Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution.