Student Civic Engagement Office Earns N.C. A&T Voter Friendly Campus Designation

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Feb. 16, 2024) – As legislative partisan activities persist – with many affecting college and university campuses – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been named a Voter Friendly Campus.

North Carolina A&T is one of 258 campuses in 38 states and the District of Columbia to receive this designation from the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). The initiative recognizes institutions that have planned and implemented practices that encourage their students to register and vote in current and coming years.

The designation was duly earned through the extensive efforts of the university’s student Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement (OLCE).

“We believe that civic engagement is not a mere duty during election seasons but a year-round commitment. By participating in initiatives like the Vote Friendly Campus program, we underscore our dedication to nurturing informed, responsible citizens who understand the profound impact of their involvement in the democratic process,” said Tiffany Seawright, director of OLCE. “The Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement invites all to join us in this journey of continuous empowerment and meaningful impact.”

This is the third consecutive year A&T has received the Voter Friendly Campus designation. OLCE continues to build strong, collaborative civic and democratic engagement programs on-campus by consistent devotion to leadership and supporting student voter registration and education initiatives.

In recent years, OLCE has coordinated the university's Civic Engagement Coalition and Student Social Action Coalition; celebrated and participated in civic holidays such as National Voter Registration Day, National Voter Education Week and Early Vote Day; hosted voter registration, education, and excitement programs; and developed service-learning opportunities and community service experiences for students. Additionally, students are encouraged to attend local civic meetings.

The Fair Elections Center’s Project and NASPA commended OLCE for exceeding the standards established by the Higher Education Act of 1965, which requires most institutions to distribute voter registration forms to their students, by “moving beyond compliance and striving for excellence.”

As the country engages in the electoral process, including college student voter access and efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion on campuses, the work of administrators and faculty in preparing students to be active and engaged citizens in the democratic process could not be more pivotal.

The institutions designated Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural and urban campuses, collectively serving more than 3.5 million students. Notably, the list of designated institutions includes 49 minority-serving institutions and 13 historically Black colleges and universities, as well as 41 community colleges.

The Voter Friendly Campus designation is designed to bolster colleges and universities’ efforts to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process – every year, not just during years featuring federal elections. A&T was evaluated based on a written plan and strategy to register, educate, facilitate and turn out student voters, as well as a final analysis of efforts.