Salem State Recognized For Student Civic Engagement Programs

SALEM, MA — Salem State University was recently recognized by two national organizations for its efforts to increase voter registration and civic participation among students for recent and upcoming elections.

The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement 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.

The "ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge" also awarded Salem State a "Highly Established Action Plan" seal for its plans to support student voting in this year's 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," SSU President John Keenan said. "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 — published every two years from the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University — indicated student voting rates dropped nationally while they remained strong at Salem State.

The report 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 highlighted Salem State's student ambassador program as one created to facilitate a strategic approach to voter and student engagement."

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.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge 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."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)