GREENEVILLE — Civic engagement by Tusculum University students, faculty and staff, an effort to foster an informed and participating electorate and citizens, has won the higher education institution a Voter Friendly campus designation.
The efforts were geared to make citizens well grounded in subjects such as the system of government, public opinion and voting.
VOTER FRIENDLY
Tusculum was named a Voter Friendly Campus for 2025-26 in recognition of its multiple projects to assist those at the university and in the community.
The Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project and the LEAD initiative on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement of NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, bestowed the honor on Tusculum.
“The Tusculum family performs excellent work in supporting efforts to ensure our students are registered to vote,†said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “We also take great pride working with high school students to prepare them to exercise their responsibility and privilege to vote with the necessary information at their disposal. We relish having our students involved in the political process and connecting with the community and are grateful to receive this recognition from these excellent organizations.â€
GOALS
The university’s goals were to:
• Increase the number of students registered to vote;
• Grow student participation for civic engagement events;
• Expand the variety of organizations and other units on campus involved in making these events happen; and
• Further build the outreach and engagement between Tusculum and the community in support of nonpartisan civic education
LEADING THE WAY
Primarily leading Tusculum’s efforts in 2024 were the university’s Center for Civic Advancement, Office of Student Affairs and political science and sociology academic programs. Collaboration among these entities produced multiple initiatives that achieved desirable results on the collegiate and high school levels.
An Omega Psi Phil fraternity voter registration drive with CCA and Student Affairs achieved 38 new registered voters in the spring.
American Government class students helped fellow Pioneers check their voter registration status, register to vote online or obtain materials to learn more about registration in Tennessee or their home state. This took place on Voter Registration Day in the fall and supported an estimated 10-20 registered voters.
Five students and multiple staff members helped develop questions or served as readers and scorers for the U.S. District Court Civics Bowl hosted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Wyrick in the spring.
Tusculum developed a course for high school students in the spring that provided a comprehensive exploration of key elements that shape the nation’s political landscape. It focused on elections and voting, political parties, public opinion and the pivotal role of the media.
Dr. Shelby Ward, coordinator of the CCA and an assistant professor of political science, taught two sessions at the Old Oak Workshops in the spring that examined voter patterns and basic election concepts and tied them to a social media campaign to drive voter participation.
During the summer, she taught the course 2024 American Politics: The Road to the White House for a week at the Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science Summer Academy, one component of which was for students to design a Get Out the Vote social media campaign.
Also in the summer, Dr. Ward created an assignment called “How to be a Citizen: 101†for the civic engagement category of Tusculum’s orientation class. The objectives were for students to develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be a citizen, recognize the significance of active participation in democratic processes and community activities and learn about the historical context of citizenship and the ways America’s relationship to it has changed.
During Constitution Day in the fall, American Government students helped host an event in which they and their fellow Pioneers learned about the Constitution and tested their knowledge of this document.
“We were delighted to provide all of these programs for our students and those in high school,†Dr. Ward said. “These activities are designed to have not only short-term effects but also long-term outcomes that encourage participants to embrace their role in the democratic process. When students accept their duty to make their community, state and nation strong, everyone benefits.â€
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