SUU Named to Washington Monthly 2018 Best College Guide
Published: December 27, 2018 | Author: Cami Mathews | Read Time: 2 minutes
Southern Utah University was named to Washington Monthly’s 2018 America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting. The ranking comes as part of the College Guide and Rankings, which ranks colleges and universities on their contributions to social mobility, research, and public service. This is a first-of-its-kind list of schools doing the most to turn students into citizens.
On many campuses, less than half of eligible student voters exercise their democratic right to cast a ballot in presidential elections. To do its part in improving civic engagement, SUU participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) which offers colleges and universities an opportunity to learn their student registration and voting rates.
SUU’s voting rate in the 2016 election was 49.7%, a 1.1% increase from 2012. Only 33% of registered voters between 18 and 21 voted. Almost half of registered voters between 22 and 29 exercised their right to vote. More women than men voted and public administration and social service professions had the most people show up at the polls.
The Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service works to increase civic engagement. From voter registration drives to weekly discussions, the center aims to increase leadership, service, research, and citizenship on campus and in the community.
“Public service is a remarkable way to devote oneself, whether it’s in politics or in science or art or business or engineering, there’s politics and policy involved in all of it,” said former Governor Michael O. Leavitt. “If students can leave with a sense of how to navigate that, they’ll be more successful in whatever field they choose.”
The university also participates in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a national, nonpartisan awards program recognizing colleges and universities for improving civic learning, political engagement, and student voting rates. As a part of this initiative, students, faculty, and staff have worked together to develop and implement an action plan to improve practice and
Learn more about the SUU Leavitt Center..Tags: Student College of Humanities and Social Sciences Leavitt Center
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