Power to the Polls: A Guide to Developing Civic Learning, Election Engagement, and Political Action in Higher Education

Given that students are increasingly arriving on campus with limited civic knowledge, and the fragile state of our democracy, there is an urgent need to incorporate civic learning into courses, programs, systems, and processes throughout our institutions.

This book provides administrators, student affairs educators, and faculty with frameworks and examples for developing initiatives and programs to promote students’ civic learning and democratic engagement; set sustainable, campus-wide goals; track student learning outcomes; and make data-driven decisions that impact the campus climate for civic engagement.

For many campuses, the first step is to assemble a diverse team of faculty, staff, students, and community partners to review existing programs; research national organizations that offer data, support, and benchmarks for sustainable initiatives; identify examples of practice such as those described in this book; and consider the diversity of the student body and local community, their needs, and the opportunities they offer.

Beyond two opening chapters that provide foundational grounding for this work, this volume offers nineteen emerging and promising examples of how a range of institutions―from community colleges and liberal arts universities to state and Research One institutions―are addressing the need for civic learning, promoting civil political discourse, engaging students in voter registration and mobilization, and on how to work with legislators on issues―and how to promote this work on a non-partisan basis.

The chapters identify a wide range of resources and organizations that support the work of civic engagement both nationally―such as AAC&U, Campus Compact, NASPA, Institute for Democracy & Higher Education, the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, and the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement―and at the state level.

When designed and executed well, civic learning programs can foster competencies for lifelong citizenship and inspire young people to see themselves as civic actors and problem-solvers, to seek diverse viewpoints and perspectives, and to make change in their communities. This book offers ideas, resources, and frameworks to undertake this vital task.

Marianne Magjuka serves as Assistant Dean of Students and Executive Director of the Office of Civic & Community Engagement at Wake Forest University. In this role, Marianne provides strategic vision and oversight for community-based engagement, including service and leadership programs, social justice education, community-based teaching and research, and community partnerships. She established the civic learning and democratic engagement initiative at Wake Forest and created Deacs Decide, a campus-wide election engagement project. In 2015, Marianne established the Winston-Salem Community Action Coalition, an AmeriCorps*VISTA project focused on education, food security and public health, and economic development. She is the co-founder of the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Knowledge Community in NASPA. Marianne received a B.A. in History and M.Ed. from the University of Notre Dame and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Caryn McTighe Musil is a Senior Scholar and Director of Civic Learning and Democracy Initiatives, Association of American Colleges & Universities.