University of Baltimore Announced as 2019 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Award Winner
November 12, 2019
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore has been named a winner in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a national campaign to encourage student participation in the election process. UB received the 2019 Best in Class Award for having the highest voting rate at a medium, public, four-year institution. The University also was recognized for its 59.1 percent voting rate, which is among the highest in the nation. More than 60 institutions enrolling six million students are participating in the ALL IN Challenge. The recognition was announced at a Nov. 12 ceremony at the Knight Conference Center at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., where select higher education institutions, educators, and students were recognized for excellence in student voter engagement during the 2018 midterm elections. Award winners were chosen for their exemplary leadership in supporting students as they form the habits of an active and informed citizenship.
"We're tremendously proud of our students for their participation in the election process," said UB President Kurt L. Schmoke. "I think it's a clear indication that the number of people involved in making these key decisions about our shared future is on the rise. Of these students, some young, some older, you can say with confidence that they believe in our democracy and are doing everything they can to preserve it. They deserve every accolade."
According to ALL IN, from 2014 to 2018, student voter participation more than doubled. It was dubbed a "remarkable midterm election" by the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, a research study of the Institute for Democracy in Higher Education (IDHE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. The 2018 average institutional voting rate of 39.1 percent is far closer to those of the last two presidential elections (47.6 percent in 2012, 50.9 percent in 2016) than to the previous midterm (19.7 percent in 2014) according to the school's recent study. Data provided by IDHE shows UB's midterm voting rate increased by 22.1 percent to 59.1 percent in 2018.
"We couldn't be more proud of the outstanding recipients of this year's ALL IN Challenge awards for their contributions to improving democratic engagement," said Jen Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. "The rise in voter participation and engagement on college campuses in last year's midterms and what's sure to be a high turnout in 2020 can and will undoubtedly be tied to the hard work of the dedicated students, faculty, administrators, and partner organizations that are part of the ALL IN Challenge network."
At the University of Baltimore, students are encouraged to get involved in the process in a number of ways. In 2016, UB was the only campus in the nation to receive the gold seal award from ALL IN, for its 70.9 percent voter participation rate.
About the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The ALL IN Challenge strives to grow civic culture and institutionalize democratic engagement activities and programs on college campuses, making them a defining feature of campus life. The Challenge, in collaboration with higher education, seeks to:
- make participation in local, state, and federal elections a social norm;
- substantially increase the number of college students who are democratically engaged on an ongoing basis, during and between elections, and not just at the polls;
- make educating for nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation on college campuses an accepted and expected part of the culture and curriculum so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and values needed to be informed and active citizens.
Learn more and see a full list of winning campuses at allinchallenge.org.
Find out more about the Newseum awards event on UB's Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement's Facebook page.
UB's voter engagement efforts are assisted by students funded through a partnership with the Andrew Goodman Foundation
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.