Independence, KS – Today, Independence Community College, is one of over 231 campuses in 37 states and the District of Columbia designated as a “Voter Friendly Campus.” The initiative, led by national nonpartisan organizations Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, held participating institutions accountable for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students to register and vote in 2020 elections and in the coming years.
The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process. Our campus was evaluated based on a campus plan about how we would register, educate, and turnout student voters in 2020, how we facilitated voter engagement efforts on our campus, and a final analysis of our efforts- all in the face of the upheaval caused by a global pandemic. The designation is valid through December 2022.
While working to be designated a voter friendly campus, Independence Community College launched a partnership with TurboVote. TurboVote is an online service that helps students register to vote and learn about important voting deadlines. The College also received a $9,600 Implementation Grant through the Ask Every Student Program last November.
Independence Community College has made a strong statement about the civic mission of higher education to prepare students to be engaged participants in our democracy and is excited to continue engaging students through 2021, 2022, and beyond.
“Being designated a Voter Friendly Campus is an excellent way to highlight ICC’s commitment to preparing students for successful careers and purposeful lives” said Vincent Bowhay, vice president for student affairs. “ICC will continue promoting civic engagement and voter participation as a part of the Pirate experience.”
The institutions designated Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses. Notably, the list of designated institutions includes many Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The program is ultimately serving millions of students.